Chuck vs Dangers in Paradise
by Mr.88
Summary: Post season 2 AU. Having been spy free for over a year, Chuck Bartowski decides to visit some old friends for some R&R. But when the islands comes under seige, Chuck finds himself drawn again in to the spy life to protect the lives of those he holds dear.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: For this story, I've decided to do something different. I always wondered how Chuck's story would of went if Bryce got the Intersect without a hitch at the end of Chuck vs. The Ring, and thus this idea for a story came about. As a new writer, I welcome any constructive feedback, and I hope you enjoy.

Update: This is a revised version of chapter one, which hopefully is easier to read for some folks. Thanks goes out to **jaytoyz** for taking a shot at beta-ing this.

Obligatory Disclaimer: I don't own Chuck, anything to do with Chuck, or any of the random bits of pop culture that pop up. I'm broke, so don't bother suing : )

Chapter One

**October 5, 2010 11:30 AM – Chuck's apartment**

She found him sprawled on the ground, groping under his bed for something. Whatever was that soaked up Chuck's attention must have been so important that he didn't even hear her come in. His flight to the Hawaii was tomorrow, and in typical Chuck fashion, had rushed through packing everything that morning. Dr. Eleanor Woodcombe nee Bartowski took this opportunity to look around the room, taking in the mess Chuck left in his wake. Clothes, books and various pieces of computer junk were scattered everywhere, the haphazard clutter of the room making her cringe. Not too long ago, when they were living together, this would have set off a scolding that would peel paint but now resisted the nearly overpowering urge and bit her tongue. Over the past year, Chuck had been working himself to the bone in an attempt to get his software company off the ground and he was so close to having the enough saved up to follow his dream. With the economy firmly in the toilet, this was no easy feat and she was proud to admit that she admired his drive, but she wished he would take some time for himself. It was her husband Devon's idea for the trip to the island of Kahni'auka, where Chuck's friends were currently living. They hoped that visiting them would give him time to unwind and hopefully, help him avoid burning out.

"Hah! Got yah you little sucker!" Chuck exclaimed as he rose to his knees, clutching his red bathing suit. Finally noticing his sister, Chuck shot to his feet. "Oh hey Ellie, I was just looking for my bathing suit. Hope I didn't leave you waiting too long. Did Trent let you in?"

"No, I found the door open and just let myself in," Ellie admitted.

"Again? I keep telling him to lock up when goes out, but you know Trent. It's in one ear and out the other," he lamented as he stuffed his prize into his suitcase. "We're lucky we haven't been robbed yet! And he keeps going through my stuff too! I tell you El, answering that post has been a blessing and a curse," Chuck admitted as he wrestled with the suitcase`s stubborn zipper, while remembering the 'roommate wanted' ad he'd found nearly a year ago.

Ellie silently agreed with Chuck on that front. That man turned out to be the most frustrating human being she met, and that was saying something considering the creeps she met at her brother's old job. Trent was rude, often helping himself to Chuck's stuff without asking and treated laziness like an Olympic sport. His blasé attitude towards anything and everything did nothing to endear himself to either of the Bartowski siblings and Devon, a man who almost always found the best in people, had labelled him 'un-awsome'. If it wasn't for the apartment's prime location, there was no way Chuck would have stuck it out with him for so long. Instead of fueling Chuck`s rising frustration, she opted to change the topic a little, asking, "So how's the packing coming along?"

"It's going ok. I think I got everything, except the kitchen sink. Just got to send out a couple of emails, and I'm good for lunch."

Ellie pushed some of the stuff off the bed to make room. "Glad to hear it," she replied as she plopped down. "This vacation is just what you need, and I want to make sure there's no last minute hiccups."

Finishing with the suitcase, Chuck looked up and smiled. "I still can't believe you guys shelled out the cash for tickets. I mean, it's an awesome present and I'm grateful, but I thought you and the captain were saving up for a house."

"It's no problem Chuck. You've been working so hard lately, and Devon and I both figure that an opportunity for you to recharge and get out of here for awhile would make the perfect late birthday gift," Ellie said. "It'll be good for you to visit Morgan again. I know you guys do the whole instant message thing but that's not the same. How is the little guy doing? I've been so busy lately that I haven't spoken to him in ages."

"Gimme a sec, El. Just got to boot the system up and I'm all yours. "Chuck ducked down to turn his computer on, and took his seat at his computer before saying, "Pretty well actually. Morgan is making some good progress at the hibachi school. He's got the cooking part down, by the shrimp flipping is tricky. Last time he tried it, he managed to flip it right into his eye. Thankfully the shrimp was kept at a consistent temperature of lukewarm. Also, he got a part time job at the local Buy More thanks to the good work Big Mike put in. Good thing Emmett was out when they called for references. Man, can that guy carry a grudge! "

Ignoring that last part, Ellie chimed in, "He's certainly come a long way. When Morgan was in Burbank, you made it sound like he went out of his way to avoid work. I'm surprised he's managed to stick out for so long."

"He didn't want to let Anna down. At first he was panicking about the bulk of the responsibility he gotten during the first few weeks, but you know what, he was worried about her even more. He was worried that he'd let her down if he flunked out, and that they'd end up broke in no time. Thankfully, I was able to give him a pep talk. "

_This ought to be good_, Ellie thought to herself. "So what did you do to calm him down?"

"I told him that if you want to succeed, you got to treat your life like a game of Call of Duty. Oh sure, you might scoff, but there are important things to gleam from playing. For example, you've got to stop fixating on the big picture and break it down into small objectives to accomplish. That way, it doesn't seem like it's impossible to succeed, and it makes it easier to think about getting those smaller but still important achievements. Also, you got to learn to communicate and work with your partner, because you're a team, and if you're not working with your team you're working against them. You both want the same thing and being on the same page makes it so much easier for you to gets what you want instead of just blindly guessing and making things worse." _ I just wish that Sarah and I learned that sooner,_ Chuck silently added to himself. _For the longest time we were hurting each when we had._

Ellie chuckled to herself. "Leave it to my nerdy brother to find wisdom in video games. You could write a book."

"The Tao of Mario, huh? I've got to remember that one once I'm rolling in the dough. "The talks about relationships brought up memories of his onetime fake girlfriend Sarah. He missed her like crazy but he didn't feel like talking about her, something he knew Ellie always seemed to want to do whenever relationships were mentioned. Instead, Chuck quickly spun his chair around to enter in his login info and spun back to face her before pressing on. "Right, so moving back to current news. Anna is working as the web admin at one of the local businesses when she's not working on our current project. Also, she's been sleeping better since they moved into the new apartment. Being constantly reminded about the parasailing incident was giving her nightmares, and the new place has given her some piece of mind, especially since it's not as close to the beach. "

This immediately got Ellie's attention, causing her to lean in. "Wait, what was that about a sailing incident? Are they ok?"

"It was a parasail, not a sailboat involved El. It was the freakiest thing!" Chuck to a moment to take a sip from an open can on his desk before continuing. "Apparently, some of the resorts cut corners on their equipment, and the one not too far from Morgan and Anna's place never bothered to replace the rope used to attach the parasail to the boat pulling it during the whole time they've been open. So anyways, a one of the guests went up on a drafty day, and while being pulled by the boat, the rope just snaps. The winds were so strong that day that it pushed the parasail inland, and the poor guy ended up crashing right through their window. There was glass and blood everywhere!"

Noticing Ellie's 'worried doctor' expression, Chuck quickly added, "Don't worry El, despite the scary number of cuts he got from crashing through their living room window, the guy survived. Morgan and Anna, thankfully, were in the bedroom at the time and they were able to get him to the hospital."

Mercifully for Ellie, Chuck glossed over what exactly the two of them were doing in bed right in the middle of the day and continued on before she had the chance to make the connection. "Last I heard, he ended up getting a bunch of stitches. Now I don't know if you know but Anna doesn't usually scare that easily, so it's a big deal to say that this really shook her up. She thought the poor guy was dead when he first crashed through the window, and it's been giving her nightmares since. It got so bad that. He agreed, and they've been looking for a new place since. "

"I can't say I blame Anna. Lord knows I wouldn't want to be reminded about that every day, "Ellie conceded. "But why didn't you tell me about this sooner? "

"I did. I mentioned it when I was helping you clean the place up for Devon's folks. "

Ellie thought back to that weekend, when her in-laws announced that they'd be coming be the following week to visit. She was so focused on impressing Devon's parents that she must have blanked out whatever Chuck was saying at the time. Realizing this, Ellie's face went flush with embarrassment. She knew that Chuck always had a hard time making friends, and here she was, so wrapped up in impressing her 'awesome' in-laws that she practically blow off some of the few he's managed to have had since Stanford. True, Morgan could be grating at times and something about the Goth chick he'd moved to Hawaii with just rubbed her the wrong way, but both of them had gone out of their way for her brother in the past and Chuck valued their friendship greatly.

Chuck spoke up at that moment. "Don't worry about it sis. I told Morgan that you sent your best wishes, and Devon sent them a nice card from the both of you. Besides, I'm sure they had other thing s to worry about at the time."

""I bet," Ellie said. "Moving to a new place isn't cheap, and most landlords aren't willing to refund the rental deposit you put up, even if the damage wasn't your fault."

"I wouldn't worry about it. Anna's parents joined the class action lawsuit against the resort, so money shouldn't be a problem there. " Turning around to look at the computer's clock, Chuck jumped to his feet, a panicked look on his face. "Ah crap, it's 11:50 already! Sorry Ellie, I got to get these emails out before lunch or the client is going to have a cow."

"Go ahead, I can wait" Ellie replied, getting to her feet once her brother turned back to his computer. Chuck muttered his thanks, leaving Ellie time to slowly look around her. The room looked like a tornado had blown through and it desperately needed to be cleaned up. Since Ellie was a clean freak by nature, and the very existence of clutter was an affront to her fastidious nature, she volunteered to help tidy her brother's room up while he vigorously typed away at his computer.

Starting out small, she straightened out Chuck's prized _Tron_ poster. She always found it tacky looking, but it was a gift from their previously missing father Stephen, so she never brought it up. Both she and Chuck loved their father, even if his leaving had hurt them. He's been gone for 11 years, and then one day Chuck shows up with him in tow. It was a surprise to see him show up for her wedding, and an even bigger one when he didn't run off afterwards. He told her later that he had developed mental problems a few years after their mother walked out on them and like many men of his generation was too stubborn to get help. Fearing the stigma that having a crazy father would bring his children, he opted to leave, believing that would shield his children from the shame. It was only thanks to the efforts of Chuck and his girlfriend Sarah that he finally agreed to seek psychiatric care, where he was diagnosed with schizophrenia. With proper medication, her father was struggling to recreate his life and his relationship with his children. Even with their father back in their lives, Chuck was still very protective of the poster. She figured that certain things were hard to let go of and that one day he would have the heart to finally put the ugly looking thing away.

Moving away from the poster, Ellie started to pick up the clothes piled on the bed and fold them. It was sort of busy work that she used to favor when she was younger; since it kept her busy and off the million and one worries that her father had dumped on her. Putting laundry away was therapeutic in a way, as you were always in control and you never had to worry that someone was going to take your socks away and put them in some dark closet never to be seen again. Nope, the clothes were exactly where you left them and their problems were always simple to deal with. All too soon for her taste, the job was done and the various shirts, pants and socks were sitting there waiting to be put away.

Not wanting to bother Chuck, she moved to his dresser and checked which drawer the socks went into. Back when he was living with her and Devon, she knew that Chuck preferred to keep the socks on the top drawer, and pulled it open. Sticking out amongst the few socks was a lone envelope. It's been years since she's seen anyone mail a letter and she wondered who it was from. Ellie didn't like to spy on others usually but her curiosity got the better of her and she flipped the envelope onto its front to look at the return address. She secretly hoped it was from Sarah but instead the return address was for her old neighbor John Casey. She hadn't heard from John since he got that job offer from that security firm in Washington but she was glad that he kept in touch with Chuck. She knew he'd never admit it but Chuck had looked up to the older man and was missing him as much as he did with Morgan. John always struck her as the lonely type, since he rarely seemed to leave his apartment save for work and errands, and she was glad that Chuck had gone out of his way to befriend him. He never struck her as sentimental type, but Ellie guessed that was just how much Chuck meant to the man.

After putting the envelope on top of the dresser, she proceeded to start putting the rest of the clothes away. Ellie was just placing the last of the shirts away when Chuck spun around. "Sorry about that sis" Chuck said with an apologetic shrug, " I didn't expect the client to get back to me so soon. He had some questions but nothing too complex. I'm sure the documentation should cover the rest. Oh, and thanks for putting away the spare clothes that I really was planning on putting away later. "

"Sure, like right before you get on your plane tomorrow" Ellie said with a knowing smirk. " Well, I figured that it'd be best if I gave you a hand...this time." Picking up the letter she'd put down on the top of the dresser, Ellie waited until she was sure her brother had noticed what she was holding before speaking. "By the way, I came across this while I was putting the socks away. I wasn't snooping, I swear, at least not intentionally."

"It's ok El, it's just a letter from Casey. He said that the job at the security firm is going well, he's missing the warm weather and your cooking, and he wished me luck with the new software company. There wasn't more to it than that" Chuck explained while taking the letter from his sister's grasp. That was the truth except for a few details, such as the warning about avoiding suspicious emails or intrusive ex-roommates. There were a few other items in the letter, but Chuck couldn't reveal more for fear of violating the non-disclosure agreement he signed after his time in the spy life was done. He was no longer the host of the Intersect program-database-framework-computer thingie (he wasn't sure how to describe the freaky thing that was once in his head) but it can't hurt to be careful. Thankfully, Casey was cautious to not include anything sensitive, and had even remembered to stick to the cover story about getting a new job in Washington, so the letter wasn't as anxiety inducing. If anything, it was a nice surprise to hear from the Colonel. "_Guess he really didn't hate my guts after all_,"Chuck thought to himself.

Looking up from the envelope in his hands, Chuck noticed the worried look on Ellie's face and that could only mean one thing, she was going to ask about Sarah. He was sure that Ellie thought she had to walk on egg shells around him when it came to the subject of Sarah and, for the life of him, he couldn't understand why. After the wedding, the two of them were FINALLY able to have an honest-to-Cthulu talk about their relationship without having to worry about Casey bursting through the wall like Macho Man Randy Savage and arresting them for treason, or worst, displaying lady feelings. Sarah had explained that she did want to be with him, but that she still had a little over a year left on her contract with the CIA. Chuck had been reeling from the news that Sarah wanted him and she'd had to repeat herself, explaining that when it was up, she'd consider remaining with the agency as long as she got a transfer to Los Angeles where she'd gladly work as an instructor or even take a desk job but that if the transfer wasn't an option, she'd quit.

He remembered the look on her face when she asked him if he willing to wait for her and then again afterwards when he gave his reply. He remembered telling her that he would wait as long as it took if it meant that they would be together. The transformation from uncertain and vulnerable to a wonderful mix of relief, joy, and hope and those other feel good emotions, well Chuck would call that magical. Chuck felt awestruck and honored at the same time that he could somehow bring such happiness to someone, especially to Sarah, and he realized that he would do everything in his power to never let her down again. So when Sarah had packed up and left, he refused to let their impending separation drive him into a depression. He knew this was nothing like his break with Jill and even a year without Sarah in his arms wouldn't hurt like Jill's betrayal had. Instead of allowing himself to dwell on who wasn't in his life, he opted to throw himself into his plans for his own business by taking some ideas he'd had kicking around since Stanford, and combined them with the work from the Orion search engine and run with it. Armed with his recently awarded degree and the freedom of no longer being shackled to the Buy More, Chuck had been eagerly putting together the resources needed to create something shiny and new. He knew that he was far from being done, but that the progress he made would be a welcome surprise for Sarah when she got back. The problem was that she was due back over a month ago, and nobody at the CIA was willing to talk.

When Ellie finally gathered the courage to ask, she said, "Any new from Sarah yet?"

"No, nothing yet Ellie. I'm sure that if there was anything serious that the people at the Peace Corps offices would have been called me by now. I bet that they asked her to stay a bit longer and she said yes. Sarah probably sent me a letter and it got lost somewhere. I heard that Rwanda's postal service can be unreliable at times." Chuck did feel bad about lying to the woman that practically raised him since he was 9 but honesty in this case would not have helped matters. He really was certain that if, heaven forbid, something happened to Sarah on this last mission (oh please let this one not fall victim to the "one last job that goes bad" action movie cliché) that he would of gotten the call by now. His name was filled in the previously empty next-of-kin portion of her file, and he was certain that the CIA wouldn't withhold knowledge of her death. When it got closer to the date of the trip, Chuck considered postponing his trip but the voice of reason spoke up that spy missions don't have timetables to stick to and any time spent moping about wouldn't help Sarah out at all. The fact that the voice sounded like her helped matters and he caught himself smiling as he thought of her scolding him if she caught him worrying about her ability to do her job.

"I just wished she decided to do something closer to home," Ellie said, dragging him back from his thoughts of a certain blonde. "I kind of understand her decision to want to give back but she was so young when she did some of those rotten things with her father. I just worry that something could happen to her over there."

Chuck had been surprised when Sarah had revealed part of her checkered past to his sister as part of her cover story for her leaving for a year. Sarah explained that the best covers usually contain some truth, and that by willingly talking about the past she would help erase any doubts in Ellie's mind about her intentions towards her brother. It didn't hurt that it would also offer good damage control in case her father was to drop in on her again in the future.

"Me too El. But I just keep reminding myself that she's pretty damn smart and that she's one of the toughest people I've ever met, present company excluded of course." Chuck's stomach had finally lost patience, and had chosen that opportunity to speak up. "Whoops, looks like the boss is getting restless," he joked.

"Can't have that now, can we. You finally ready to go?"

**October 5, 2010 14:20 – Undisclosed Location**

The ragged man stared at the safe, confused for a moment about where he was. Rooting through the ruined pair of pants he'd stolen ages ago, he pulled out a yellow notebook. The notebook always kept him on track, even when the head pains got bad, and it was the one constant in his life for what seemed like years. Or was it months? When you had the lights in your head, it was hard to remember. It made thoughts slippery and they had the tendency to bounce loose up there. Where was he... ah yes, the safe. Glancing around the room, he recalled how he got there. Setting the fire in the janitor's closet had caused everyone to flee the building, leaving him alone in the office with 'The Safe', the very safe that could very well hold the key to making him right. The office that he broke into belonged to some very bad men that had some information that they shouldn't have.

The problem was remembering if these were the bad men that wanted him dead or were the ones he worked for. The risk was well worth it though, as his head felt heavier by the day, and it might lead to the big D: Dysentery! No wait, that wasn't right... oh shoot, he should have written that down. "Ah well, guess it can't be that important," the man muttered to himself. "Now, let's see what's inside." After making short work of the lock, he pulled the door open. Inside was a set of folders, each stamped with the word "CLASSIFIED". Sorting through them, he saw none that looked familiar. However, when he was starting to give up, the lights had spoken. Usually, this would cause the man to get confused again, but this time, the knowledge they offered helped jar something familiar. "Omaha, of course!" he exclaimed. "That was its name! Finally, maybe I can find him now." Looking through the file, he was disappointed to find no information on the man, Orion (His name, he had to write that down!) or to his friend, the equally mysterious Carmichael. However, it pointed to one of Omaha's base of operations, an island called Kahni'auka. Finally, some hope! Scribbling the important details into his book, the man scooped the files up and shoved them back into the safe. He hurried down the stairs, absentmindedly passing confused firefighters on his way out. He knew he should use more care, but couldn't muster the enthusiasm to browbeat himself. He'd found his salvation, and there was nothing that would stop him now from getting to it.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Author's Note:

Hi there! Just wanted to say thanks to the good people that reviewed my first chapter. I'm glad to hear back on my first stab at the authoring thing, and I do appreciate the kind words. I might not be the fastest writer in the world but I'm going to keep trying to put out new chapters every 1-2 weeks, so bear with me on this. Also, as some of you noticed, I'm writing this beta-free. If anyone knows how I can go about getting one, let me know.

Disclaimer: Chuck is property of Warner Brothers and not me.

**Monte Carlo, Monaco 01:48 October 3, 2010 **

Sarah Walker was, to put it simply, pissed off. Instead of spending her evening in her nice warm and dry bed she was hunched over in the rain on the roof of an apartment building, surveying her current mark's offices. Tonight, her team was breaking into the mark's offices, and her job was surveillance. Normally she wouldn't complain but the fact was that this operation was happening at all was due to their leader's dubious wisdom. Scowling to herself, Sarah hefted the infrared binoculars and peered into the mark's offices. It was known that he liked to work late, but the amount of time he spent in there was crazy. He's been in since 6:00 that morning and left only long enough to use the bathroom. The plan was that once the mark's office was empty, Damien Rhodes, the tech specialist, would hack into the building's camera system and initiate a feed loop while the lead agent would break into the offices and ransack the place. The usual procedure was to use the camera system to spy on the inhabitants of the office but for reasons unknown, the mark's floor was completely camera-free, thus necessitating in Sarah's vigil.

To keep her mind off the cold, Sarah mentally reviewed what she knew about her mission to date. The mission had called for her current team to locate information that would successfully link Dominic Montebloom, head of the Blooms Transport shipping company, to the criminal organization White Rook. The Agency believed that White Rook had in the past used Blooms Transport to transport arms for various coups in the past against pro-American countries during the Cold War. The fact that it had take 30 years to pinpoint such as threat to American interests was a black eye for the CIA, and they were desperate to finally put them out of business for good. The man that Deputy Director Davis had selected to head up this operation was the current bane of Sarah's existence. If she would live to be 100, Sarah wished she'd never again heard the name Daniel Shaw.

Sarah had never worked with Shaw in the past, but she knew that he held the reputation of being one of the best agents the CIA has produced to date. He may have had an impressive record, but in Sarah's mind he was the worst candidate to lead the mission. He had no concept of maintaining team moral, as he took every opportunity to undermine the opinions of experienced agents and was too eager to put the lives of his teammates in danger in order to succeed. It didn't help that he was overzealous to the point of exposing his teammates to unnecessary dangers to get the job done. This flippant attitude to his team's lives had whittled the team from its initial 9 members to a meager 4, now 3 after the last operation went sideways. The atmosphere was already tense when Sarah had been transferred to this mission, but after Owens's death, Rhodes had been looking to tear Shaw's head off.

After what seemed like an eternity, Sarah's patience finally paid off. Montebloom sat up, left the room and closed the door behind him. Speaking into her earpiece, Sarah said, "The mark is on the move, repeat mark is on the move. "

Over the earpiece, Rhodes replied, "Roger that. Just give me a sec... Ah, we have visual. The subject is on the elevator. Looks like he realized that he needs sleep like the rest of us. I'd ballpark it about 20 minutes before we send butterfingers in. "

Shaw's monotone droned into Sarah's ear. "Butterfingers?" he asked. "Another one of your cute nicknames Pink 3, or are you insinuating something?"

"I'm not insinuating anything, _sir_. The record stands that the last 2 ops were a wash because of you, and for reasons beyond me, you want to head this one up. Why isn't Red 9 heading this up?"

Shaw answered, "Red 9 is where I need her, running surveillance. I'm perfectly capable of caring this out myself, especially since I've come up with the plan and I can count on myself not to fumble this one."

"Fumble?" Rhodes exclaimed. "How the hell was it her fact that you sent her right into that firing squad?"

"If she was as capable an agent as she claimed, she would have walked out of there alive." Shaw reasoned.

"Bullshit!" Rhodes roared. "That office had a whole goddamn army in it and nowhere to hide! What did you expect, that she'd sweet talk 60 trigger happy into letting her take a peek at the servers?"

"She knew what she was getting into when she volunteered," Shaw answered calmly.

"Owens had the Intel already! The op was over and done! She'd still be here and, not six feet under, if you didn't send her after another one of your damn wild goose chases!"

"I have told you before, the Ring is very real, and a may very well be one of the greatest threats to the peoples of the free world, if your feeble mind can comprehend" Shaw began.

_Here we go again,_ Sarah thought to herself. The Ring, as Shaw had dubbed it, was a popular tale making the rounds amongst the various organizations for some time now. The story goes that several unrelated criminal and terrorist groups, including the now defunct FULCRUM, were in reality part of a ring of organizations intent on destroying the United States. In order to ensure absolute secrecy, each group was lead by proxies for the head of the Ring, and each group affiliation with each other was never known. To this day, no evidence ever came forth supporting the existence of this Ring and so most agents chalked up talk about it to misinformation. _If only Shaw had the sense to let this lie._

"I have had enough of your Ring crap pretty boy! Next chance I get, I'm..."

With her patience finally wearing thin, Sarah spoke up, "Enough! We have a job to do and the window on this is too small to waste pointing fingers. We all want this to go smoothly and to do so we need to be professional." Sarah paused, realizing that Rhode's heavy breathing could be heard over the headset. Realizing that the extent of Rhodes anger might put him past appeals for professionalism, she stopped herself and thought that she might need to take to think of a different approach with him. Taking a moment to think of a speech that wouldn't reveal anything over the air, Sarah took a deep breath before continuing on. "Look Three, I didn't get the chance to know Owens as well as you did but I do know that she signed up to do the job that needed to be done, just like you and me. This one was been very difficult but thanks to her efforts, we've managed to make some great progress. She gave it her all on this operation and you can bet that she'd hate to this half done. Three, I'm asking you to put your feelings for Seven, no matter how deserved, aside for now so that we can finish what she started. Can I count on you to do this?"

A pause had set in before a quiet "Yes" was heard.

"Thank you." There was a time that Sarah would have thrown protocol at the distraught specialist instead of looking for common ground with him, but thankfully she learned a thing or two during her time with Team Bartowski. _Looks like lady feelings have their place after all_ she thought to herself.

"So, back to the job at hand. I hate to ask Three, but is the equipment prepped and ready to go?"

His mind firmly back on task, Rhodes answered, "They sure are Red 9. Just give me the signal and we can begin the show."

"Good thing I got the best seats in the house," Sarah quipped. "Are you in position Gold 7?"

"I have been for the last hour. Just don't forget who's leading this outfit. Next time Wa..."

Sarah cut him off. "Perfect, just what I wanted to hear. I'll hold my position for now and give you the heads up if I spot anything."

"Very well, we'll talk later. The operation commence in T minus 5 minutes. Maintain radio silence until I say otherwise."

Now came the part that Sarah hated, the waiting, or rather this type of waiting. It wasn't like the type of waiting you do when you're just killing time before the action begin, or the type when you're just counting the hours before she got to see her favorite nerd herder. It was the type of waiting that you did when you were expecting trouble while keeping your fingers crossed hoping that it never came, the type that would twist any agent's insides up like a pretzel. The problem was that most agents were trained to be in control of the situation at all times, and then there comes situations like this where you had to relinquish that control in order for the mission to go smoothly. The waiting was killer and you had to distract yourself to avoid going stir crazy. Some agents would work on math problems, or recite half forgotten poems. In the past, Sarah would fill the time humming in her head whatever was on the radio at the time while she kept vigil. Lately, she found herself revisited songs from the many television shows and movies Chuck had introduced to her during her time in Burbank.

While she was half way through the theme to The A-Team, Shaw's voice filled the airways. "Mission Accomplished," was the only thing he said. _Finally, time to go. _ Sarah made her way downstairs, thankful for the absence of people the late hour provided. Exiting through the back, Sarah slipped into her crappy car and drove towards the team's current base of operations. Currently, they were working out of a dank apartment located in the seedier part of town. It was perfect for their needs, since people came and went at all hours of the day and nobody was keen to ask questions. Sarah was glad that she had an extra place to stash clothes, as her current night time ops outfit was so soaked that they felt like weights hanging off her person. As a shiver ran through her body, she prayed that the apartment's heater was working today.

After making sure that she didn't pick up a tail, Sarah went straight to the room. Noticing that she beat the others there, she did a quick sweep of the sparsely furnished apartment before locking the door. You could never be too careful out in the field, as all sorts of things could be waiting for you when you least expect it, from hired goons to desperate addicts, and in one case a hung-over ocelot in the bathroom. Satisfied with the lack of hostiles, Sarah headed over to the bedroom to get changed. After getting into some clean clothes, Sarah took a moment to look at her reflection in the broken mirror. Her face looked paler than usual, but what she was more concerned about was her hair. For this cover, she had to dye her hair from her natural blonde to an auburn color. Satisfied that her roots weren't showing yet, Sarah hung her wet clothes up and headed to the kitchen.

While she was rooting around for something edible, Sarah heard the door. Cautiously leaning around the corner, she saw her team arrive. Rhodes entered first, looking more haggard than usual. Shaw followed 10 minutes later, appearing none the worse for wear despite having spent most of an hour hiding in the ceiling of the men's washroom. One would think that he would have the courtesy to look dishevel but Daniel Shaw didn't seem to have a hair out of place.

Shaw mentioned something about securing the Intel before leaving the room. Figuring that she had time before the briefing, Sarah decided to make herself a cup of tea. While she waited for the water to boil, she took the opportunity to glance at Rhodes. The stress of the job was definitely getting to him. Although only a few years her senior, he could have easily passed for 50. His usually dark skin looked pale and by the distant look in his eyes she could tell that he was miles away. At the moment, Rhodes eyes went back into focus and he turned to face her. "Hey Walker, got a minute?"

"Sure. Something on your mind?"

"Yeah," Rhodes began as he moved to one of the chairs. "I wanted to apologize for earlier. I lost my anger again and although the op went well, I could have easy made a mess of things. A good amount of folks died trying to wrap this thing up, and I can't help but keep feeling like I almost blew it for them. And yet, anytime I even think about Shaw, I just see red. Maybe it's the fact that most of my team is dead, or the fact that sonofabitch treats us like dogs, or maybe I'm just getting too old for this shit!" Noticing a creaking sound, Rhodes paused for a moment to look down. To his surprise, he was gripping the chair to the point that his hands when white. After taking a few breaths to calm down, he continued. "What I'm getting at is that I'm sorry if I'm being a burden. I heard you've been through some crap on your last mission and the last thing I want to do is give you more crap to have to deal with."

"It's okay Damien," Sarah said. "This type of thing comes with the job a lot more often than I could count. Personalities have a nasty tendency to clash and you just got to do your best to accommodate. I have to admit, you've probably held off longer than I would have if I were in your shoes. This mission isn't a walk in the park and it doesn't seem to doing anyone any favours. Tell you what; I'll talk to Shaw about giving us the morning if not the day. With the way our latest op went, there should be enough data for the analysts to look through before we can plan the next step anyways. "

"A whole 8 hours of uninterrupted sleep? That'll sound heavenly right about now." A brief smile spread across Rhodes face. "Thanks Walker, you're alright."

Shaw popped into the tiny kitchen. "The briefing starts soon. Be out in the living area ASAP," was all he said before disappearing again.

"I'll meet you out in the living room," Sarah said as she poured herself a cup of tea before following. She still had the shivers and with the heater still out of commission, she needed all the warmth she could muster. Ignoring the looks Shaw shot her, she took her seat. Ignoring the look of impatience on Shaw's face, she took her seat. Clearing his throat, Shaw began the briefing.

"Okay team, I have some good news and bad news," Shaw began. "The good news is that the infiltration mission had gone off without a hitch, despite the unprofessional outbursts. The files that were retrieved are in working order, so that should give the analysts something to go over. It looks like our time in Monaco is done. "

"Not a moment too soon," Rhodes murmured to himself.

Ignoring the man, Shaw continued. "The bad news is that a rogue agent might be involved. I took the initiative to go over Montebloom's schedule and the name Ryan Anderson came up several times. "

Sarah could barely contain the look of surprise on her face. Was this Bryce resurfacing after or was this a coincidence? She had to be certain. "When was the earliest entry that referred to Anderson?"

"Early December."

That's just less than two months since Bryce went AWOL on their last mission, Sarah noted to herself.

Shaw continued on. "As Agent Walker has probably surmised, the name is a recorded alias belonging to the undercover operative Bryce Larkin. Although it is unclear how he attained it, Larkin was reported to of been in possession of classified data when he disappeared."

_They must be referring to the intersect data_, Sarah thought to herself. _From the sound of things, Shaw must be in the dark about Omaha._

"The schedule mentioned that Anderson will be meeting with Montebloom in a week's time in one of the Hawaiian Islands. Our team's new mission is to multi-faceted. We will have to discover where the meeting is happening, and confirm whether or not Anderson is in fact Larkin. If Anderson is indeed the wayward Larkin, we must apprehend him and attain where the Intel is kept. In either case, we will discover the nature of the meeting and act accordingly. "

"And if it is Bryce and he refuses to divulge the Intel's whereabouts?" Sarah asked.

"Then we neutralize the threat. Whatever Larkin walked off with has made a lot of people nervous and because of that fact, I have been given authorization to terminate Larkin if need be. I have given this some thought and I have deemed it necessary that the Intel's location be lost rather than fall into the hands of terrorists," Shaw concluded.

_Bryce is as good as dead if I don't think of something_. Even after all this time, she considered him one of her oldest friends, messy romantic history aside, and no matter what, she couldn't let Shaw be the one to interrogate him. The Intersect was still known only by a select few, and Shaw probably wouldn't believe that the stolen Intel isn't on any hard drive. She'll have to convince him to bring Bryce in if they apprehend him but sadly, she had the feeling that convincing Shaw to do so would be a herculean effort. Once an idea becomes lodged in the agent's mind, not even C4 could remove it. Sarah hoped that the Anderson name turns out to be nothing more than a happy coincidence, but in her experience, coincidences rarely turned out happy.

"So here is our plan of action. Walker and myself, while in our covers as Richard and Jennifer Taylor, have been invited by Montebloom to his property in the islands."

Sarah mentally groaned to herself. This means that for her the mission will be going well into another few months, months spent apart from Chuck. The two of them have been out of touch since she left Burbank and there was no way for her to check up on him. She knows that without the intersect that nobody would go looking for Chuck Bartowski, but it doesn't help ease the worry she feels about being separated from him. And that also means that she'd have to go back undercover with Shaw. It didn't help that the man was unnatural in the cover, usually coming across as emotionally distant towards her or just simply dismissive. At times, Shaw either acted like she wasn't there at times, or worse, overcompensated with the public displays of affection. While he was no spy master, at least Chuck had the good sense to keep the PDAs to a simple kiss or hug. Shaw, on the other hand, practically felt her up at the last cocktail party they attended. The way Shaw carried on, it was a wonder that nobody's suspicions were raised by now. On top of that, Sarah was going by the name Jennifer again, much to her dismay. Even to this day, the name would summon some of her worst memories and having her mark call her that on a daily basis made her teeth grit. Needless to say, Sarah loathed continuing with the charade.

Continuing with his plan, Shaw say, "We will accept and use this opportunity to investigate the meeting and perhaps catch a glance of Mr. Anderson. Since it would be hard to explain the presence of a third party, Agent Rhodes would be a loose end. In this case, I'm sending you back on the next flight to the States. Your part in the mission is over and done with. Is there any questions?"

Rhodes was too stunned to answer and Sarah held her tongue. The silence held for a beat before Shaw said, "Good. Walker, be ready to move out in a few hours. Rhodes, I'll let you know when your flight has been arranged. I wish I could say that it has been a pleasure working with you but we both know that is a bold face lie. Now if you excuse me, I have quite a few phone calls to make."

After Shaw left the room, Sarah took a sip of the once forgotten tea. Something felt off about all of this but she couldn't quiet put her finger on it. Maybe it was the idea that she might see Bryce again that was putting her off but she couldn't say for certain. Turning to the stunned Rhodes, she said, "Looks like you're going to have to settle for a nap on the plane, eh Rhodes?"

Finding his voice, Rhodes replied, "That sounds about right to me." Leaning towards Sarah, confessed, "It's probably for the best that I'm being sent back. I just haven't had my heat in field work these past 3 years, and I've just had my fill of tap dancing for entitled assholes like Danny boy. Nope, I'm just about ready for a nice cushy desk and a chance to try out my soft shoe routine. "

Feeling comfortable with the man, Sarah tried her hand at a joke, "I always figured you for more of Hustle kind of guy."

Rhodes rewarded Sarah with a chuckle, much to her surprise. She never considered herself to be funny, and was happy that she could raise the spirits of the departing agent. "I'm game for anything but the Robot. Never could do that one without looking silly." Standing up, Rhodes's face took on a serious look again. "I just wish you were coming along with me. Shaw's got a screw loose and knowing him, he's going to put you in some nasty situations. Promise me you'll watch your ass out there."

"I wouldn't be here if I couldn't. Take care of yourself Damien."

"You too Walker... Sarah. It's been a real pleasure working with you. "Grabbing his jacket, Rhodes left the apartment without another sound. Watching his retreating figure, Sarah couldn't help but wish she was on that next flight too. Whatever lied ahead was shaping up to be a big mess, and she wasn't sure if she could navigate the muck without making things worst. The only thing she was certain about was that at least Chuck was miles away from all of this junk and that she'd make certain that she came back to him. There were too many unknown factors in this mission but at least she could be certain that he was safe and sound in Burbank.

Reviews are always welcome. Love or hate it, I'm always keen to hear what you guys think about my writing.


	3. Chapter 3

Author's Note: The island of Kahni'auka is completely fictitious. That way, I can have complete freedom with its geography and culture. Also, keep in mind that I'm going to deviate from canon post season 2, so don't trust whatever you learned from seasons 3-5. Also, I'd like to thank jaytoyz for offering to beta my stuff. I think it's awesome that he's offered to take the time to make my stuff more readable.

Disclaimer: As of April 7, 2012, I do not own Chuck or any other pieces of work that come under copyright law.

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><p><strong>Chapter 3<strong>

**October 6, 2010 4:30 PM – K.A. Airport**

Chuck exited the airport, grateful for the breeze on his face. 6 hours of stale airplane air plus the crowded humanity grouped around the luggage carousel equals one nauseous Chuck Bartowski. He couldn't believe it but the island was experiencing an unusual upswing in tourism his October. This meant that his flight was full, and thus it took forever to get his suitcase. The once saving grace for the whole experience was the lack of screaming babies, which allowed Chuck to catch up on some missed gaming and reading uninterrupted. He seldom left much time for himself lately and having the chance to just vegetate was almost worth the price of the ticket in itself.

Looking around, he noticed a complete lack of Morgan in the area. Although he wasn't the tallest of people, his buddy had a way of standing out from any crowd. You couldn't miss him even if you decked him out in a cloak of invisibility and dropped him in the middle of a riot. He was about to dig out his phone when he heard a car horn from behind him. Turning around, Chuck was confronted by something he'd thought he'd never ever see in his lifetime. Morgan, well known layabout and self-proclaimed lifelong passenger, was behind the wheel of a beat up sedan. But before he could utter his amazement, Morgan was out of the car and enveloping him in a bear hug.

Breaking the hug, Morgan started with the rapid fire questions "Chuck, it is awesome to see you again man! How've you been? Still pulling those crazy hours? And what happened to the epic face fur you were sporting for the past few months?"

Chuck shrugged. "The beard? Oh, I just got sick of it. Not shaving in the morning does save time but it just wasn't for me."

"Let me guess: Ellie strikes again!" Morgan added melodramatically. "She never could appreciate the value of a good beard. Probably for the best. The benefits are great but the responsibilities of sporting a manly beard are not to be taken lightly. "

"Truer words have never been spoken," Chuck joked. "Mind popping the trunk?"

"Oh right, the bags. Gimme a sec."

Minutes later, the car cruised down one of island's few roads. Morgan mentioned that Kahni'auka 's lone highway road would be packed, so the scenic route would be best. Once he was satisfied that Morgan wasn't going to put the car into the ditch, Chuck took the opportunity to catch up on stuff like life on the island, what it's like sharing a roof with his lady ( thankfully the censored version, otherwise Chuck's gag reflex would get a work out) and about all things geeky. Once, out the corner of his eye, he could have sworn that they were being followed. Although he was deemed mostly harmless by the government, the thought that somebody might come looking for the infamous Charles Carmichael one day was always at the back of his mind. When he tried to sneak a peek at the car however, it was long gone. Figuring that it was his paranoia flaring up, Chuck put all thoughts of the car out of his mind and turned back to the conversation at hand.

While Morgan was going on about the upcoming game _Dead Rising 2_ ("Zombies and Macguyverism together at last Chuck! It's the Reese's Pieces of gaming!"), Chuck was working up the nerve to ask about his sudden inclination to drive. "Hey buddy, I'm not complaining or anything, but when did you get your license anyways? I thought you still had your phobia of all government offices. "

"Sometimes you just got to face your fears man. I was starting to feel lousy about having my lady drive me around all the time, and I just wanted to lend a hand, especially when she gets the late shifts and is just zonked the next day. After the incident, she was barely getting any sleep. I tell you, some days a gentle breeze could knock her over! I wanted to make sure that she's didn't end up as street pizza one day, so I asked Sensei about giving me a hand with getting ready for the test. "

The Sensei in this case was Takaya Mifune, the head instructor at the Benihana cooking school. The older man had noticed that Morgan was struggling when he first started at the school and had taken him under his wing. Chuck was glad that Mifune-san had taken a shine to his friend. Thanks to his guidance, Morgan was more motivated than Chuck had ever seen him in the past.

Morgan continued, "Thanks to his help, on top of the fact that the driving here isn't as scary as L.A.'s, I managed to get my license. I didn't mention it before because I wanted to surprise you when you got in. So I got to ask, how's my driving? "

"Well," Chuck began, "the car still has all 4 wheels and you haven't cut off any school buses. From the look of things, you're doing much better than half of the jerks I face every day on my commute."

"Thanks man. That really means a whole ton to me. I got to admit, I thought it was going to end up like a round of _Carmageddon_ when I first got behind the wheel but after enough times, it was like riding a bike."

"It's just like I tell you. You do something enough times and it's not that scary anymore." _Well, except for being dangled off a roof_, he thought to himself. Chuck had it happen to himself a few times, and if was pressed about it, he'd admit that the prospect of going splat could still make him weak at the knees.

Chuck was going to mention something about fifth Grade when he noticed the serious look on Morgan's face, so he held his peace and let his buddy talk. "Now, before we go in, there are a few things to keep in mind in order to make your stay at Casa Grimes/Wu as smooth as possible. Man, I still can't believe we have our own place! So anyways, number one: pork and all yummy pork based foods are persona non grata. If you're going through bacon withdrawal there's a good greasy spoon I know that'll hit the spot, but with the menu I've got in mind I doubt you'll miss it much."

Chuck cocked an eyebrow at this declaration. "You going on a diet on me?" Considering the fact that he considered the Double Down a light snack in the past, Morgan going on a diet could be considered one of the signs of the Apocalypse.

"Nope, just something for my Anna Banana. Her mom never allowed it in the house growing up and now she can't stand the smell. I can't complain though, plenty of other stuff to cook up." The rule did make some sense to Chuck. He vaguely remembered her mentioning that she was half-Jewish even if she never did go into much detail about it.

"Second of all," Morgan continued, "7:30 is Naked Yoga time for me and Anna. I know the uptight Bartowskis can get about the naked body, so you can't say I didn't warn you."

"Right, so waking up early is out," Chuck concluded. "Rising at the crack of dawn is overrated anyways. So what's the next thing?"

"That for the duration of this week, whatever you want goes. Well, as long as it doesn't cheese Anna off of course. If you want to go wakeboarding every day, play some games or just lay by the pool and fry like a weenie, that's up to you to decide and me to deliver. The only times that I won't be able to though is when I got class tomorrow and then again later on this week when I got to help my lady with a project. Don't worry though, we won't leave you hanging. "

"Well, I got to do the beach thing, and doing the tourist thing does sound appealing. At the very least, it'll give me the chance to get some pics and souvenirs for the folks back home. I'm thinking about get a t-shirt for El, some shot glasses for the Captain and a teddy bear for Sarah. Oh, and some postcards too. Can't forget those, they're practically a dying art nowadays. "

Morgan nodded to agree. "That's the price of progress my friend. You lose something as well as gaining something else. Just look at the special edition of _A New Hope. _We got that great scene with Jabba but we lost Han shooting first."

"Just about hit that one on the head Morg."

Chuck stuck his head out the window as Morgan pulled the car into the parking lot beside the apartment building, taking the opportunity to take a look at the new place. The building looked to be a couple of decades old and was in an architectural style that Chuck couldn't hope to identify. It wasn't as nice as his sister's place back in Echo Park but it definitely was not a hole in the ground. Hopefully, his friends got a good deal on the place after all of the effort they put into looking for a new place.

As Chuck hauled his suitcase through the door, he was greeted to the sounds of a heavy guitar riff. Putting the suitcase to the side, he followed the music over to what he assumed was the breakfast nook. There he found Anna seated at the kitchen table working away at something on Morgan's laptop. It was near identical to one that Lester had mistaken for the Roarke 7 prototype over a year ago, except that it lacked the Orion special features (in other words, no more close calls with Predator drones) and came loaded with Windows 7 and a video card instead. Chuck's dad, Stephen, had given one of his old laptops to Morgan as a parting gift before he left for Hawaii and it's been put to good use since. Anna used it sometimes to compile the more complex prototype builds and Morgan swore by it as the ultimate gaming laptop. He boasted that it could handle the computer game _Crysis_ on max settings easily, and considering how much of a resource hog it was, that was no small feat.

Morgan followed behind Chuck into the apartment and slammed the door behind him, startling Anna out of what she was doing. Noticing the two behind her, she turned the music down and headed towards them in the blink of an eye. She gave her boyfriend a quick kiss and hugged Chuck before offering him a seat. Morgan mentioned something about making dinner before heading to the fridge.

"Hey Chuck! Good to see you make it out here. How was your flight?" Anna asked Chuck as he sat in the neighboring chair.

"Can't complain too much. Didn't have as much arm room as I expected but that was as bad as it got. How's the web admin job going?"

"Oh, not too bad," Anna replied. "Besides the local Buy More, there's not an awful lot of computer work out here, so I'm trying to squeeze as many hours out of it as possible, which sadly isn't enough. Besides the work on our prototype, I've been picking up the odd job here and there to kill time. How's it going in L.A.?"

"Not too badly. I've heard back from that guy in Vancouver about the project and he said that he might be interested in join our team. Also, I've just finished up some contract work for that firm, so I'm current a free agent."

"Well, I'm glad to see that you're got that out of the way. I still don't know why your dad doesn't just set you up a cushy job instead of you running around like the rest of us working stiffs."

Anna's question reminded Chuck of his father's current situation. After Ted Roarke's untimely demise, his will had stipulated that all of his shares in Roarke Enterprises be passed onto his friend and silent partner Stephen Bartowski. What the public didn't know was that the will was a forgery planted by the CIA to A) Keep those shares out of the hands of potential terrorists B) To compensate Stephen for having to go on the run to protect his family and C) To give incentive for the Intersect's remaining creator not to disappear off the face of the earth. To sweeten the deal, they offered to clear up 12 years of back taxes owed and also hinted that a clerical error could occur that caused his beloved daughter to inherit said taxes if he ever considered disappearing again. Although he wasn't happy with the constant surveillance, Stephen was glad that they allowed him some freedom to do the work he loved and was able to spend time with his children again.

"Well, the fact is that my dad doesn't have the pull Ted did. They only tolerate him because his work in R & D is nothing short of amazing, and even so they're trying to keep him out of the public eye as much as possible. Having a guy with schizophrenia in charge doesn't sit too well with them. "

Chuck still wasn't comfortable going with the mental illness cover story but considering the real reason why his dad went MIA 12 years ago, it probably was for the best. Nobody in their right mind would believe that his father fled to avoid a sect of spies, lead by Ted Roarke of all people, from forcing him to create super spies.

"Also, most of the board still sore over my stunt during the unveiling of RIOS," Chuck said. "They're not too keen to hire on the guy that made Ted Roarke look like a jerk and delayed the launch."

"I remember hearing about that. Considering what a security nightmare it turned out to be, I'm surprised they still cared that you crashed the party. "

Chuck thought for a moment. "Me too. I guess some people just can hold a grudge."

"That really sucks." Sensing his reluctance to talk about the mess, Anna decided to switch subjects. "So, how was the airport? I heard that it's worse than a mosh pit this time of year, especially since your garden variety pit lacks the special sort of crazy soccer moms bring."

"It was no problem. After you survive your first Buymore Black Friday, weaving through a crowd like that is a cinch. At least I didn't have to deal with returns this time," Chuck said.

"Would have been easier if I had Jeff with you,' Morgan called out from the kitchen. "His funk alone could part a mob like Moses at the Red Sea."

"So that explains why you guys get so chummy with him in November. I thought you were buttering him up to get him to switch shifts at the Nerd Herd."

Anna replied, "Just one of the perks for getting on his good side Chucky. Well that, and getting exclusive rights to the theater room during lunch," Anna replied with a grin.

As Chuck and John Casey had been painfully aware, Anna and Morgan were doing anything but watching movies during that time. It was just one of several reasons why Casey had championed the creation of a permanent base, besides having room for the heavy ordinance.

Chuck barely concealed the grimace on his face when he thought about their 'quality' time. "I still don't get why you guys couldn't wait until after work to ..." Chuck hesitated a beat before adding, "to watch movies together. You were using the home theatre room even after you guys moved in together and didn't have the threat of Bolonia or Big Mike bothering you in the middle."

Anna added coolly, "It's always more exciting when you do it in the middle of a public place. But I'm sure that you and Sarah know all about that."

A gasp was heard and Chuck looked over in time to see Morgan's jaw drop. "Oh, please oh please say it wasn't near the fro-yo. There's a time and place for afternoon delights but when there's food involved, mainly food that I've EATEN in the past, I have to draw the line."

Chuck instantly went on the defence. "Whoa, whoa, relax buddy, there is no way that I'd do something like that when food's involved. Besides, Sarah wouldn't have risked her job at the Double O's. "

"Nope, the yogurt is safe," Anna said as a matter of fact. A big grin spread across her face as she revealed, "I found the two of them during Chuck's sister's wedding reception. They were looking pretty snug in the back of that Mustang. It was a pretty sweet ride from what I remember. It's too bad I never did figure out who it belonged to."

"You're kidding me!" Morgan exclaimed. "In the back of his dad's car? Oh man, Mr. B would hit the roof if he found out! He wouldn't even let me near it when we were kids, and you had your lady in the back? Out of all the things I'd imagine you doing to get your jollies, that'll be the last thing I'd ever expect."

"I'd never imagine Chuck would so flagrantly mix wedding and high school clichés," Anna quipped.

Chuck's face went as red as a tomato during the whole exchange. He remembered that night all too well. As he recalled, Sarah had came up to him and insisted that he show her the '76 Mustang parked out front. Chuck always figured that his kickass ninja lady was also a bit of a speed freak so he didn't think it was odd at the time that she'd be insistent on seeing the inside of his dad's most treasured possession. Next thing he knew, Sarah was on top of him kissing his neck while he simultaneously fumbled with her bra strap and praying that nobody came looking for them. Thankfully, it was Anna and not Ellie, or worse his dad, that found them and it was during the cuddling stages. Sarah admitted later that she choose the car partly because the agency were taking their sweet time removing the surveillance devices and in part due to her just being impatient to get alone with him. In the end Chuck didn't mind. It sure beat having their first time be in a dingy motel in Barstow.

Thankfully for Chuck, Morgan came to his rescue. "Ah, we better knock it off before Chuck drops dead from the embarrassment. And from what I remember from Junior High, that's a very real possibility. "Turning to Chuck he said, "Don't worry man, news of your post wedding escapades will never leave this room. We will never speak of this again, least we risk the wrath of Pappa B, but for the record, I bow to your courage. Moving on, I just wanted to tell everyone the menu for dinner. Tonight, we're having a mouth watering Chicken Marsala, with a side of squash. The whole thing will be ready in a half hour, so hopefully you won't be skeletal by then. "

Anna said, "Thanks sweetie, I bet it'll be awesome." Before Morgan was able to turn back to the meal in progress, she called out, "Oh right, I just remembered something. I got a call from my folks right before you guys came in. They're coming into town to visit and they want us to come to this party that my father's old business partner Dominic is having. Not exactly my thing but my dad insisted I show up." A groan escaped from Morgan before he had could put a lid on it. Her father thought he was a slacker and had been giving Anna grief about him since they moved in together. "Sorry guys, I know this is going to be a bit of a drag but I promised my mom that I'd come to the next gathering they were attending over a year ago and now she's collecting. At least we can all go together in case they all turn out to be major bores. That is if you want to come along Chuck. There's no way I'd dream of horning in on your vacation. "

"Hey, it's no problem. Ellie used to drag me to these things and I usually end up having a good time. "Seeing the skeptical look on Morgan's face he added, "We could actually meet some awesome folks at this. For all we know, your dad's friend knows rock stars and the guy that created Combos."

"Oh I love those things. Just the thought of that cheesy goodness encased in crunchy pretzel makes my day."

"It'll also give you a chance to show Anna's dad what a great guy you are. I'm sure that it was the nerves that got in the way last time on the yacht, and now you've got the chance to show him your good side. And if that doesn't works out, at least we can compete to see who encountered the most boring guy at the party."

"Good call Chuck. Who knows, you might be right and it doesn't suck so much after all. At least I get to show off my new suit. Trust me man, you're going to love it. But first, I got a meal to whip up!" And with that, Morgan exited the room.

Anna shot Chuck a grateful look. "Thank Chuck, you're a real life saver. Doubly so, since you just about saved me an hour's worth of begging to get Morgan to come. There's no way in the seven layers of hell that I'm going this thing solo."

"Any time Anna. So while we're waiting, tell me about the memory leaks you keep running into..."

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><p>As always, reviews are always welcome.<p> 


	4. Chapter 4

Author's Note: Casey makes his first appearance here (can't have one of these stories without him). Also, I got the chance to write dialogue for Anna. I always found her to be a fun character and I hope that I managed to get her character right. Like before, I have the ever vigilant jaytoyz on hand to help beef up my stuff.

Once again, I don't own Chuck.

**Chapter 4**

**October 5, 2010** **23:20 on route to Honolulu, Hawaii**

Colonel John Casey watched the plane going for a landing with his usual scowl etched across his face. Somebody was trying to attain the Intersect again, and once again he was tasked as being their huntsman. He understood that secrecy needed to be maintained but he wished that he could have gone directly to the facility instead of having to go through with this charade. He has been sent over to Hawaii under the guise of undergoing a refresher course at Hickam Air Force Base, where he would remain for a day or so before being shipped off to Kahni'auka with some servicemen for their downtime. From there, he'd make his way over to the Meteorology Research station that served as the front for Intersect operations.

Being too agitated to sleep, Casey brought out the dossier for the third time that trip and proceeded to flip through the files. From what he gathered from it, there was nothing but bad news. There seemed to be two different parties that were to be his targets, each having an unusual amount of success attaining information on the Intersect project as a whole.

The first portion of the dossier was dedicated to a group that had infiltrated several installations successfully in the past few months without revealing anything about their identity or who their employers were. Based on the gear they used and the way they handled themselves, these guys were hardcore professionals. Other than the fact that there were at least 3 members on the infiltration team, there was not much else to learn about them. From what the eggheads gathered, they were attempting to get schematics for the Intersect computer, which had been given the designation "Juno" since Project Bartowski had wrapped up. Casey couldn't find fault with the assessment since the actual computer would have required a crane to walk off with and all of the targeted facilities where dedicated to R&D and had no connection to the database housing the combined knowledge of the NSA and CIA.

The other portion was still an oddity to Casey. It was more extensive than the first one and focused solely on an unidentified operative. He had first shown up on their radar a few weeks ago, when he started going after the less defended locations. Unlike the first team, who relied on teamwork and the latest gear, the operative worked without any support and used much simpler methods for getting the job done, often relying on household objects and his unnerving knowledge of each locations security to gain access. The frustrating thing was that he also had knowledge of the cameras' locations and made certain to obscure his face in front of each, so the footage couldn't be used to identify him. The only thing that they could learn about this mysterious infiltrator's identity was that he was male, had formal training as an agent and was possibly an epileptic. The epilepsy lead was only uncovered thanks to the footage of the man displaying what appeared to be seizures several times during the some of the later break-ins. At first it was thought that his targets were random but after wadding through the inter-departmental politics and red tape, it was discovered that each location was related to project Omaha. It still was uncertain if the infiltrator was working with the first team or was working independently, but he was to be brought in, alive preferably, if encountered during the op.

This brought Casey back to the current operation. After the break-in yesterday, the higher ups where convinced that the next target would be the Omaha facility in Hawaii. General Beckman had convinced the Secretary of Defence that Casey would be ideal for the job of intercepting the culprits, since he was already knowledgeable about the Intersect's existence and had one hell of a track record hunting down spies. Since the Kahni'auka facility's true identity was probably exposed, the General figured that it would make the perfect honey pot. Once Casey had made his way to the island, he's to rendezvous with Agent Jordan Black and begin surveillance of the area. The CIA wanted a man in on this operation, since they were still a major player in the Intersect program, but only on the condition that the agent would be under Casey's command. They were all on a tight schedule and there was no time for the kind of infighting that usually came from cross agency co-operation.

To sum everything up, Casey's job was to hunt down an undeterminable amount of hostiles, with barely a clue to their identities while having to babysit whoever the CIA could dredge up. The job might seem hopeless but if it was going to be easy they wouldn't have sent him. _At least there was one silver lining to this mess _he thought to himself with a rare smile. It seemed like forever since he had been in the cockpit and he was genuinely looking forward to the experience. As he put the dossier down he had the nagging suspicion that he was forgetting something but for the life of him he couldn't figure out what it was. Chalking it up to the lack of sleep catching up with him, Casey put the thought out of his mind and tried to get comfortable in his seat. Tomorrow's going to be a busy day and the last thing he needed was to nod off in front of the instructor.

**October 6, 2010 11:58**

For the first day of his vacation, Chuck's morning was going to be Morgan-free. He still had about a day's worth of classes before the upcoming civic holiday and so it was left up to Anna to play tour guide. Although he wished that his buddy could have come with, it did give him an opportunity to hang out with the fellow ex-Nerd Herder. It felt like forever since they've had a conversation that didn't revolve around their start up company and it was good to just shoot the shit like old times. Aside from their tastes in music ("Guest or no guest, if you try to make me listen to that whiney indie crap you're riding on the roof Chuckles!"), the two of them saw eye to eye on most things and Chuck was glad to be able to bring up tech talk without the other person's eyes glazing over.

For lunch, the pair ended up at the Big Kahuna Burger which came as a recommendation from Morgan. For a budding food snob like himself, the declaration that it was "The best burger this side of the Pacific" was something Chuck couldn't take lightly. Unlike most the women in his life, Anna didn't need any convincing to get fast food for lunch. "I burn through enough calories everyday to afford it," she was all she said on the matter. The fries were nothing to write home about (not that Ellie would be thrilled to hear about them anyways) but the burgers themselves lived up to the hype. He just wished Sarah could have been there. Despite her insistence on maintaining a strict health regiment, he knew from their various lunch dates that she was a bit of a closeted carnivore and would have loved the place. If, no WHEN, she got back he'd have to read up on his burger places.

His brief reverie was cut off by Anna's attempts to get his attention. "Earth to Chuck! Do you read me Major Tom?"

Without missing a beat, he reply, "Loud and clear ground control. Just thinking about stuff."

"Must be some real important "stuff" Chuckles. I managed to steal 4 fries off you and you didn't even blink." Anna took a sip of her coke before venturing, "From that far away look on your face, Sarah Watch 2010 is back in effect."

"Am I that easy to read? "Chuck asked her.

"Well, there is a reason why you never do well on poker night. Your face tends to read like an open book. But seriously though, are you worried about her?" she asked with a hint of concern in her voice.

"Nah, just missing her terribly as usual, "Chuck admitted. " I knew that she was going to leave for a long time but I still wish she didn't have to go. Our relationship wasn't perfect by any stretch but I feel that we were finally past that rough patch and getting to the good. I know it sounds selfish but after everything we've been through, I was hoping that she'd just dump the trip and stay. "

"I honestly can't say that I blame you for feeling that way, especially when things were finally getting good between the two of you. I'd probably be in the same boat as you if I didn't have the chance to move with my Morgie. Still, I can kinda see where she's coming from. "

"You can?"

"Sure, she's not the first person whose head got messed up by her folks. If this helps her deal with the crap her dad dragged her into, more power to her. "It was at that instance that her cell phone decided to ring. Yanking it out of her pocket, she looked at the display. "Sorry Chuck, I got Morgan on the line. Gimme a sec."

"Sure thing," Chuck said. While Anna chatted away, he took the opportunity to enjoy the view of the ocean. Despite his best intention to respect phone privacy, he did overhear bits of the conversation. He couldn't make sense of most of it, but the phrase "Don't stick it in the closet!" stuck out in his mind.

"Good news Chuck!" Anna exclaimed. "We managed to track down a suit for you. Thankfully Morgan's buddy is about the same height as you, so it won't look like you mugged Danny Devito for his monkey suit."

"That's a relief. Last thing I need is to incur the wrath of Schwarzenegger. Seriously though, who's the charitable guy I have to thank for the last minute setup?"

"That'll be Mal, he's the rare breed of cop that's not an asshole. I think Morgan mentioned him to you once or twice during one of our Skype calls."

Chuck's mind went blank for a second before the name registered. "Oh right, he was a part of our team, Man-o-war, during that Halo tournament a few months ago. Despite me being a little rusty we ended up doing well."

Memories of the tournament came flooding back. Morgan had befriended a local named Malcolm, Mal to his friends, whose passion for the game rivaled his own and the two needed two more players in order to form a team. Chuck's deadlines were still far off so he readily agreed to join as well as recruiting their fourth member Damien. Damien was a guy that Chuck sometimes played with and although hesitant at first, he ended agreeing as long as it kept his mind off his frustrations at work. Although he hadn't been on a team with either man before, Chuck found himself having a good time with them. Damien was a natural team player and Malcolm's easy going personality combined with Morgan's cheesy sense of humor had help keep things playful, right to the bitter end.

"Got to say, I approve of that name 100%. Morgan was curiously tight lipped about the whole thing. How did you guys end up doing?"

"We got to semi-finals and were doing well before we ran into Team Jacob."

"You lost to a pack of airhead TWILIGHT fans? No wonder Morgan was so down about it! If a bunch of sparkly vampire lovers got the better of me, I'd put my foot through the TV!" Anna exclaimed.

"I think Jacob was the werewolf with self-esteem issues. Any way you look at it, we all had fun and we walked away with T-shirts to boot. So, what's taking up so much space in the closet that it couldn't hold a suit? Are you housing a family of five in there or something? Ah, it's probably your stash of New Coke still sitting around." Chuck guessed.

"Good job diverting the conversation from your shaming at the hands of the Hot Topic crowd. For your information, I finished the last case a few weeks ago and what's in there is a secret that I'm waiting for tonight to share with my folks."

His curiosity getting the better of him, Chuck pulled his secret weapon: The Look. It was the same one that always got Ellie to spill the beans on his Christmas present when they were kids and not even super spy Sarah could hold out too long against it. "Really, you're going with the sad puppy eyes? You're not nearly as good at it as Morgan, so you can knock it off." Anna said. Chuck maintained The Look for a few seconds before she gave up. "Alright, fine. I'll at least give you hint. Happy?" Taking his nod as a yes, she continued. "It has something to do with the festival coming up. I've been hired to help out with it and it's kind of a big job. Spill this to anyone and you'll be getting a wakeup call at 2 in the morning the rest of the trip!"

"That's the Harvest Festival, right? The big shindig that all of those tourists are just dying to check out?" Chuck asked. He noticed several banners and posters around town and the airport announcing it. He kept meaning to ask about it but somehow it kept slipping his mind. "It must be a big deal if you're willing to hold a good night's sleep ransom. Well, don't worry. For your peace of mind and for the sake of me not turning into a zombie, my lips are sealed. "

"Glad to hear we're on the same page. By the way, mind if I snag another fry off you?"

"Another? You still owe me for the last 5!"

"It was four but who's counting?"

As always, Reviews are always welcome. I don't discriminate with my audience. Heck, I even welcome spam bots and those guys never get any love. :)


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: **Just wanted to say thanks to everyone for the kind words. Also, from now on if I have anything relevant to the chapter to mention I'll be placing it at the end of the chapter. And yes, I am trying my hardest to come up with weird pet names Morgan can call Anna.

Just wanted to point out that jaytoyz is once again on beta duty for this and is doing a great job so far.

Still don't own Chuck.

**Chapter 5**

**October 6, 2010 8:24 pm Montebloom Manor**

Chuck stood on the steps of the looming mansion. Although relatively new, the place still made Chuck uneasy. If he had to guess, it would be the out of the place gothic style of the mansion that put him on edge. It was as if Dracula's castle itself was plucked from dreary Transylvania and dropped right smack dab in the middle of a tropical island. The contrast could almost be considered comical if the manor didn't seem to ooze menace. "Hey, are you guys ready yet?" he called out to his friends. "Hanging out here gives me the creeps."

"Just about," Anna replied. "I'm just doing a last minute check on my makeup. The lLast thing I want to do is show up looking like a clown. "

Morgan shivered at the thought. "That would be worse than when I saw _It _as a kid. It took me years before I could sleep soundly after encountering anything clown OR Tim Curry related. "Thankfully, after over a year of cohabitation his self-preservation instincts had been honed enough for him to add, "Err... not that you resemble either Banana-Rama. Heck, you look lovely tonight. I'm impressed that you managed to look this good, and in record time too!"

"Ah, that's sweet of you to have noticed," She replied.

Chuck had to admit that she really did clean up for this event. Heck, the both of them had managed to go all out for something neither wanted to be a part of. Anna's makeup was subtlety applied (unlike the Buy More days when she'd often gone heavy on the eye shadow) and was sporting the black dress that seemed to be in every woman's wardrobe. He remembered that Ellie called it her Swiss army knife since it perfectly fit any occasion. Morgan also came out surprisingly well groomed as well, having trimmed his beard that morning and was wearing a well tailored navy blue suit that fit him surprisingly well. It didn't hurt that he wore his hair short nowadays instead of looking like Cameron Diaz on the poster from _There's Something About Mary. _Out of the three of them, Chuck looked the most out of place, or at least he did in his mind. The suit he burrowed for the night was pressed and was as wrinkle free as he could have hoped but he was unhappy with the way it looked on him. "I still can't believe you guys talked me into wearing this. I look like Don Johnson!"

"Wait, I forget. Does that make you Crockett or Tubbs?" Morgan asked. "Ah forget it; it'll come to me later. Anyways, you look great man! If you weren't seeing Sarah I bet you'd have the ladies crawling all over you."

"I'm practically swimming in these pants!"

Morgan looked skeptically at him. "Chuck, Malcolm isn't that much bigger than you. I think you might be exaggerating a touch here."

"True, it's not a perfect fit but I don't think it's all that bad. At least we were able to get you something halfway decent for this thing," Anna said after giving Chuck a once over. "The island suit rental place didn't have anything left in your size, so it's either this or your birthday suit."

"Me, show up like that? Perish the thought," Chuck said with a smile. "That suit doesn't even have any pockets. Where would I keep my phone?"

"That's just the tip of the iceberg. Finding shoes to match would be impossible, since you'd end up looking ridiculous no matter which type shoes you ultimately decide to put on. Not to mention the dilemma of going with socks or no socks," Morgan chimed in.

"I think you might be overanalyzing this buddy, "Chuck said. Seriously, the thought that Morgan had considered the logistics of clothes or no clothes was disconcerting to say the least. "Besides, I wouldn't want to make the three of us social pariahs for the rest of our time here. At the very least, Anna's folks would probably avoid being seen with us."

"You mean my dad would want to AVOID taking an opportunity to give me grief? Chucky, you really need to work on the whole dissuading thing," Anna replied. She pulled her cell phone out of purse to check the time. "Looks like we better get a move on. Not that I don't want to finish our conversation but I think we we're pushing the 'fashionably late' timing a tad."

Morgan let out a theatrical groan and said, "If we must. You ready Chuck?"

"It's now or never."

Turning to Anna, Morgan said with a flourish, "Then lead on fair lady."

Sarah scanned the room for the umpteenth time, subtly surveying the movement of the security guards as she made a show of sipping her drink. She noted that Montebloom's security had set predictable patterns for walking the floor, leaving very little chance that any deviation would go unnoticed for long if they had to neutralize anyone. Tonight's goal was simple: gain access to the Main Study and plant a mini-camera. Montebloom was very secretive about whom he meets with to the point that all business associates had to enter from the side entrance and all of the housekeeping staff was kicked out of that wing for the duration of the meeting. Sadly, no trees or other useful vantage points existed that had line of sight with the window so digital surveillance was a must. Since the Study was either under constant guard or in use tonight was their only feasible window of opportunity if they were going to gain access. With the party happening tonight, the influx of people would help mask their actions.

The plan itself was simple. Shaw would cause a commotion in the party and buy Sarah time to slip in and planted the surveillance gear. Her only concern was that Shaw was refusing to share any details about the nature of the diversion. Sarah frowned to herself when she considered this. She never liked surprises, especially on the job, and Shaw keep insisting that her reaction needed to be geniune. She hated being kept in the dark, even more so since she had to trust that the distrustful spy wouldn't leave her in the lurch. Whatever he wass planning, she'd just have to hope that it went off without a hitch and nobody ended up in the morgue. With some luck, they'd have the footage of Ryan Anderson and the day she could head home to Burbank would finally happen.

"_Home,"_ she whispered to herself. For a good many years the concept had become foreign to her, becoming nothing more than a half forgotten dream. It wasn't until she'd met Chuck that she got to experience what it meant again. _Corny as it sounds, that old saying turned out to be true_, she thought to herself with a smile. _Home really is where the heart is_.

Glancing to her right, Sarah noticed her host heading towards her. _Back to work_, she thought to herself. "Am I interrupting madam?" Montebloom asked. She played it like he had surprised her. Men used to feeling in charge liked to have control over any situation and giving them the illusion of having the upper handhelped put them at ease. Since they were infiltrating what Chuck would call the man's "inner sanctum", it was best to make him feel at ease as much as possible.

"Oh Mr. Montebloom, you gave me quiet the start! How long have you been there?" she drawled. Her cover's background stated that she was from Texas and so the accent was a necessity. Her southern accent was by no means perfect, so she tried to keep it light. Thankfully, Montebloom didn't frequent the southern states so it passed muster.

"Not long my dear. And please, call me Dominic. We have been acquainted long enough to dispense with such formalities." he replied.

"Fair enough. I usually go by Jen or Jennifer, but never Jenny." Never, ever would she stomach anyone called her Jenny to her face again. "Ah must say, this is quiet the party you're havin'. You must have half of the island in here!"

"It's a trifle really," Montebloom said. "I'm ah... what they call a people person at heart. It brings me great joy to meet and mingle with all sorts of people. There's much to be learned and gained from nurturing new relationships. After all, one can never know too many people when you're in the business world. "

"It certainly doesn't hurt that you provide them with the good stuff," Sarah said with a smile. She'd noted that copious amounts of alcohol, high priced bottles at that, were being passed around the whole time she'd been in attendance. This meant that a good chunk of the party goers would become drunk in an hour or two, which translated into many opportunities for a spectacle. _ Perfect_.

"A friendly drink among contemporaries goes a long way Jennifer. I hope that I am not appearing rude but have you seen your husband?" he asked.

"' 'Fraid not. He mentioned seeing an old friend though, so he ought to be 'round."

"A pity. I invited an old friend of mine Peter to this party along with his family. I was hoping to introduce Richard to him since they both have, shall we say, common business interests and I believe that their acquaintance would be mutually beneficial. "A thought came to Montebloom and a kindly smile spread across the older man's face. "I know that you are not as business minded as Richard but would you like to meet Peter and his family? His wife is such a charming lady and his daughter is about your age. I would say that she makes for some interesting company to say the least."

"Gladly", she replied. Sarah couldn't act until Shaw met up with her anyways and it sure beat staring at the artwork for the umpteenth time. Besides, it couldn't hurt to keep the mark happy.

"Wonderful! They're right this way," he said, beckoning her to follow.

Following her host through the throng of people, she paused to grab an appetizer from a tray held by one of the roving staff. As she turned back to Montebloom, she noticed a man wearing a bright pastel colored suit. His back was turned to her so she couldn't see who had worn such a loud thing to this affair or how old he was. She briefly wondered about the type of man that was brave enough to wear that in public before continuing on.

Chuck had to admit, he was having a good time. He was originally worried that the party would be full of stuffy snobs but that fear was put to rest soon after they got there. He was glad to note that Morgan had found himself an audience that was enthusiastic about Benihana as he was. Anna stuck by him the whole time, although Chuck wasn't sure if that was because she wanted an excuse to avoid her folks or just revelling in his enthusiasm. Chuck knew that people had a tendency to look down on his friend and it was nice to see that others saw him as more than a perpetual loser.

Really, the only downside to showing up was the unwanted advances he kept getting from the bored trophy wives. In a way it reminded him of Carina and not in a good way. Thankfully he remembered back to the pre-Sarah days when his sister warned him about what NOT to say to a woman on a date and by applying the opposite he found that they lost interest in a hurry. He was certain that Morgan would get a kick out of him subverting Ellie's good natured advice. The latest predator was a top heavy woman that spent too much time in the tanning booth and not enough eating. Chuck was in the middle of regaling the woman about the time Sarah helped a lost child when the she excused herself and headed over to a wax sculpture perched on the couch. At least Chuck thought it was a sculpture or one of those creepy Real Dolls he heard about on the SomethingAwful forums. The thing could be considered handsome but its glassy stare and vacant expression coupled with its too perfect facial features was definitely off putting. Chuck was in the midst of constructing theories as to why their host had such a thing on display when it did something he wasn't expecting. It blinked.

"Oh my Zod," he said quietly to himself. Wanting others to witness this bizarre vision, he hurried over to his friends. "Guys, you've just got to see this!" he said excitedly as he pointed over to the sight.

"You mean the fact that the woman with the skin color of Tang brought a mannequin as a date?" Anna asked.

"Where? Oh I see them now. Jeez, she looks like somebody tossed Skeletor and Hulk Hogan in a blender..." Morgan trailed off. The inanimate thing had turned around and was talking to the woman now, its mouth moving in what a parody of human motion. "Chuck, I thought Blade Runner was supposed to be made up. Since when did we have the tech to start making Replicants?"

"I would have guessed he's a Cylon myself," Chuck added. "You think he's the forerunner to the upcoming invasion?"

"Nah, I'm sure he's an evil cyborg sent from the future, here to either kill Sarah Connor or c-block Chuck for life," Anna joked.

"I think we've made history guys. We've managed to find someone creepier than Jeff," Chuck added.

At that moment the man looked over at the three of them and shot them a dirty look before walking off.

"Oh carp, I think he heard us," Chuck said nervously.

"He found his next target! Well, it was nice knowing you buddy," Morgan said in mock sadness as he grabbed one of the appetizers being served and popped it into his mouth. He chewed on it for a few seconds before a sour look spread across his face. After covertly spitting the food out into a napkin (Anna training had succeeded where Ellie had failed) he proceeded to empty his drink. "Agh! That... that was disgusting! It's like someone stuck one of Big Mike's socks in batter and deep fried it!"

Whatever Anna was going to say died on her tongue. Whatever Morgan ate must have been absolutely horrific if he spat it out. He had braved the horrors of the Mystery Crisper on more than one occasion and never once did the alien mess once leave his mouth.

Chuck perfectly summed up her thoughts, saying, "And now I'm glad we ate before we left. Good call on that Anna. Can't say snacking on any piece Big Mike's wardrobe sounds healthy. "

"As you can see, my daughter and her friends just have the most eccentric of conversations." The three of them were so focused on their conversation that they didn't notice that they had company. Surprised, Chuck and Morgan turned to face the two newcomers. One was an Asian lady, somewhere in middle age, and the other was a redheaded lady with freckles to spare. There was something familiar about the redhead to Chuck but for the life of him he couldn't remember who she reminded him of.

"Hi Mom! I've been looking all over for you." Anna called out as she went to embrace the elder of the two. The woman was not much taller than Anna, even when wearing those high heeled shoes most woman favor, and was dressed sharply. From the grin she was wearing, Chuck could see the resemblance right away between mother and daughter.

"And yet we must have kept missing each in the crowd. Must be one busy party," Mrs. Wu replied smartly. Now he could see where Anna got her wit.

"Well... I do admit that I may have been distracted one or three times but I swear I was keeping an eye out for you."

"If you say so dear," Mrs. Wu answered. Turning to her companion, she said "Now that I'm certain my daughter isn't terrorizing the locals too much, let me start with the introductions. From what you've heard, this is my daughter Anna. "Turning to Morgan she said, "This here is Morgan, Anna's boyfriend. I think he's attending one of those cooking schools in the area."

"I'm uh... specializing in Benihana actually. Very cool stuff I got to say. Got a few of months to go before I graduate," Morgan said. Being familiar with his friend's quirks, it was obvious to Chuck that Morgan must be nervous as Heck in front of his girlfriend's mother. The really short sentences were a dead giveaway.

"It's nice to see you again Morgan. I must say that Hawaii is agreeing with you well." Still shy around her, Morgan replied with a nod and an uncharacteristically quiet "Thank you." She shifted her gaze beside her to Chuck. "And you must be the infamous Charles Bartowski. Anna's told me a lot about you."

"Good things I hope. And please, call me Chuck. Whenever I hear someone call me Mr. Bartowski I keep thinking my dad's behind me."

"Very well, then I'll have to insist on you calling me Rachel. " She took a quick sip of her drink before gesturing to her companion. " And finally, let me introduce you to Jennifer Taylor. She's here with her husband on business. Dominic mentioned something about real estate."

"It's all 'ey talk 'bout lately. Sad to say, Ah can't tell you more. They've spent the whole time locked up in that office while Ah stare at the wahls," Jennifer drawled. "Ah spent so much time within these faur wahls that Ah feel like Ah'm under house arrest, "she chuckled.

The chuckle clued Chuck in at that moment to the redhead's true identity. That laugh just now wasn't her true one but was what he called her stage laugh, the one she used on missions when she wanted the other guy to relax. The woman chatting away with his friends was Sarah Walker and if she here, than so was her mission. _Oh Boy!_

A/N: Yes, the creepy guy Chuck, Morgan and Anna were cracking wise on is in fact Shaw. This was inspired by my own memories of this dead albatross from Season 3. He's just so awkward that I was shocked that he was ridicule free. Also, I apologize for butchering the Texan accent in this story to any Texans reading this. It's supposed to be lame, so some solace can be taken from that.

As always, reviews are always welcome.


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: Thanks to those that left me a review, it's always good to see what people think. I have to agree with Sarah Sam that Anna, and especially Julia Ling, got the short end of the stick in season 3. Anyways, enjoy!

Yet again, I just gotta say thanks to **jatoyz** for betaing this sucker.

I don't own Chuck, not now or ever.

**Chapter 6**

Out of all the worst case scenarios Sarah could have come up with, this would be the very last one she'd ever think of. Heck, she doubted any of the trainers at the Farm could have fathomed such a thing occurring. Here she was, neck deep in a cover and she runs into not one, not two but three people that could easily blow her cover. When the Asian woman she was chatting with, Rachel, offered to introduce Sarah to her daughter, she expected to be confronted with some generic rich airhead who'd be all too willing to blow her off. Sarah had the image so firmly planted in her head that she almost choked when she was introduced to the eccentric ex-Nerd Herder instead of the bored socialite she was expecting. To make matters worse, she not only had Morgan with her but also, much to her dismay, Chuck. If she was going to get through this with her cover intact, she'd have to stick dedicatedly to her cover and hope her disguise was good enough.

On the bright side, this did give her the opportunity to catch up with what Chuck and the others had been up to. Unlike the majority of the company she'd been keeping this past year, the trio were refreshingly open about their lives and in what seemed like no time she got up to speed. The conversation started with why Morgan and Anna had moved to Kahni'auka in the first place, reiterating to her that Morgan's decision was based on an old desire to become a chef and that Anna's decision was based solely on wanting to be with her man. Not too long ago Anna's decision to uproot her life based on such a saccharine reason would have made Sarah suspicious but now she couldn't help but sympathize with her.

Morgan talked a bit about his experiences in the cooking school, briefly talking about the different theatrical tricks they were learning on top of cooking the Japanese cuisine. Sarah was pleasantly surprised that he stuck to becoming a chef, having figured that he wouldn't have lasted 3 weeks. For somebody that once claimed to be deadly allergic to work, Morgan was making good progress in the program. She was asking about the dishes they make when, much to her horror, her stomach started making an odd gurgling sound. Ever since she ate that chopped liver appetizer (at least she thought it was liver. It did taste odd...) she had been feeling a bit off. Thankfully, everyone was oblivious to the sounds her body was making and the seltzer she drank seemed to help.

Eventually, the conversation moved onto the part Sarah was most interested in: Chuck news. Happily for her, he was willing to share. He mentioned that he was currently working freelance but he was saving up to start his own company with Anna. When asked how she came to join in Chuck's venture, Anna said that she had helped collaborated with Chuck in the past on various projects and she was the very first person he approached to join him. The conversation shifted to the various projects they worked on in the past, and one in particular stood out in Sarah's mind.

"So anyways, here I was cleaning this weird blue crap out a guy's disk drive when Chuck comes up to me and asks me if I'd mind giving him a hand with a side project of his, " Anna narrated.

"You every find out what that stuff was Sweetie?" Morgan asked.

Anna replied, "Nope, just got to chalk that up to one of life's mysterious. Anyways, I said sure and he pulls out this Frankenstein looking laptop. I was surprised the damn thing worked but it did, surprisingly well too, and it housed one of this real beauty of a piece of code. It was the beginning of one of the most complex search algorithms I've ever laid eyes on and he asked MY help getting it done. This sucker not only did one hell of a thorough search but also was learning as it did so it could sort the relevant stuff from the junk. This was history in the making and Chuck was offering me the honor of being a part of it, so of course I said yes. Took us a few months of toil and tears, but we finally got it done. Not sure what happened to it though. "

Anna turned to Chuck and asked, "So what did happen to our labour of love Chucks-a-hoy? It's not just rotting away on some hard drive somewhere, is it?"

Sarah could see the conflicted look on Chuck's face but that lasted for only a moment. He took on a serious look before replying, "I used it to look for my dad." Realizing that some of the people there might not privy to his family background and needed more information, Chuck decided to elaborate. "My sister Ellie was getting married and I promised her that I'd find our father before the wedding. He'd disappeared when we were in our teens and besides the odd Christmas card we haven't heard from him since. I'd be the first to admit that I may have been in over my head but I wanted Ellie's wedding to be special and for the longest time she'd always imagined our dad walking her down the aisle."

"Although I'm no Sherlock Holmes, I did know was computers and I got this crazy idea that maybe I could whip up a program that could find him. I knew it was a long shot but in the end it worked out." A smile appeared over Chuck's face and he said to Anna, "I never got the chance to say it but I want to say thank you Anna from the bottom of my heart. Ellie and I wouldn't have our father back if it wasn't for your help."

Everyone was stunned by the confession, especially Sarah. Despite a grueling schedule that included Buy More hours, spy missions, cover dates, helping with the wedding, and Morgan time, both she and Casey had assumed that Chuck had miraculously made his search program all on his own. It never once entered her mind that he might have sought help at work, having labeled the all of the Nerd Herders as incompetents. Thankfully no security risk came out of their collaboration but she did feel lousy about both the oversight and the fact that she had underestimated the former Nerd Herder. Thanks to Anna's help, Chuck was finally able to contact Orion, thus allowing them to find an exit strategy to the Bartowski Project that didn't involve a bullet to Chuck's head.

Her train of thought was interrupted when Anna pulled Chuck into a quick hug. Pulling back, she said, "Aw, that's so sweet of you Chuck. If I knew you had so much ridding on this, I would've given it top priority instead of slacking off. I've got to admit, I didn't expect the first version to work so well. If I didn't see your dad at the wedding I'd think you were pulling my leg." You could almost see the gears turning in her head as she considered the possibilities and Sarah couldn't blame her.

"You sell yourself short dear," Rachel beamed. Nothing beats the enthusiasm of a proud mother. "Anna's always trying her hand at different things but she never left one half done. Though I must say, this must be the most complex one to date. I'm impressed that the two of you finished such a complex sounding project in such a short period of time."

"I'd expect nothing less than amazing from Chuck and my lady love. Between the two of them I've seen them crush viruses that would send mere mortals fleeing in terror," Morgan piped in. Sarah knew he looked up to Chuck growing up and it put a smile on her face to see his hero worship in full force.

Chuck couldn't help but blush at the praise. "Well, we weren't exactly reinventing the wheel but I am proud of the end result. I'm just glad it worked out in the end."

"Me too, " Sarah added. "Ah've always been a sucker fer a happy ending."

The conversation moved onto different topics but it was inevitable that one of the group would ask about what she'd been up to. Sarah was hoping that when that time came that the question would be something simple. She had taken on this cover almost last minute and was still murky on some of the more intimate details about the Jennifer Taylor identity. Thankfully, Chuck was the one that took the initiative and ended up giving her a safe question.

"So, what type of glamorous job do you have Jennifer?" Chuck asked. If Sarah had any doubts whether or not Chuck knew it was her, the eyebrow cock that accompanied the mention of her cover name obliterated it. He probably found it funny she got saddled with the name again.

"Well, Ah'm a writer by trade. Got some short stawries published but nothing big yet. Lately, Ah've been trying my hand at writin' a novel," Sarah replied.

"Neat! Never did meet a writer before," Morgan added. "Oh, let me guess your genre. Are you writing a western?"

"Nah, but good try. Ah might be Texan through an' through but Ah nevar took with them," Sarah replied.

"How about a trashy romance novel centered on Vikings?" Anna guessed.

"Again with the Vikings? I thought you outgrew that phase already," Rachel added. Chuck cocked an eye at the two of them. Sometimes Anna's tastes weirded him out, and that's no easy feat considering all of the accumulated weirdness he'd experienced in the past.

However, Sarah was unfazed by the odd comment. "Interestin' but Ah doubt folks want rapin' and pillagin' in between the usual lovey-dovey stuff."

"My turn. I know it's not usual but I would guess... True Crime, "Chuck guessed. _Funny, I thought he was going to guess Spy Thriller_, Sarah thought to herself.

"Close. Ah'm writin' a mystery novel set in the 50's. It's abaut a woman out to solve her sister's murder after the police ruled her death as suicide. Richard, that's muh husband, says it sounds like yer run of the mill detective story but Ah think different. Ah like the idea of lookin' at how a woman of that time would react to all that danger while navigatin' the male dominated world of police work and crime."

"And how's that coming along?"

Sarah scrunched her face into mock annoyance. "Not good. Writin' doesn't always come easy. Ah got the idea of what should happen but sometimes it doesn't come out easy. It's not just findin' the right words but also arranging 'em right. "

"Sounds like you're having a translation problem," Chuck added.

"How so?" Sarah asked.

"You know taking your idea and putting it on paper. It sounds so easy in your mind but actually putting it on paper is another matter altogether. I run into the same problem all the time when I'm writing up code, only the mechanics you're working with are less flexible. At least, that's the way I see it."

At that moment, she felt a pair of arms snake across her waist. Before she could break her assailant's nose, she recognized Shaw's industrial strength aftershave and forced herself to relax. A quick glance at Chuck's face showed an uneasiness that mirrored her own. Sarah usually reacted violently when someone attempted to sneak up on her and that could have spelled trouble for them all. Chuck knew this all too well after a surprise hug turned nasty that one time in the Weinerlicious. Since then he made sure to always make enough noise whenever he walked up behind her or at least was in her peripheral vision.

"Hello sweetheart, you having a good time?" Shaw said with as much enthusiasm as he could muster. Oddly enough, he seemed to have ratcheted up his emotional range from a slab of stone to human levels of inflection. Noting the men with him in a mirror's reflection, she guessed it was mainly for their benefit. Montebloom stood to his left alongside a serious looking Asian man.

"Ah certainly am dear. Just been havin' a nice tahlk' with Mrs. Wu, her daughter Anna an' her friends. Anna and Chuck here are startin' up a computer company. Sounds like some real complicated stuff," Sarah replied with equal cheer.

"Is that so?" Shaw asked. His arms disappeared from her waist and he moved to face her. "It seems to be shaping up to a night to talk shop. I've been talking with Dominic and his associate Mr. Wu about an interesting proposal they have in mind."

"It's a once in a lifetime opportunity Mr. Taylor. I just wish we had met earlier on in my stay. I need to be back in Washington in a couple of days and there just isn't enough time to go over the details," Mr. Wu stated. _He sure doesn't mince words_, Sarah thought to herself.

"It truly is a pity that you and your wife cannot stay longer Peter. I hear that the festivities are sure to be spectacular this year thanks to your daughter's efforts," Montebloom said.

"Aw nuts, you ruined the surprised. I was going to tell them the good news!" Anna exclaimed.

Before Montebloom could reply, Mr. Wu spoke up. "I can't say that I'm thrilled that you've been wasting your time on another one of your frivolous projects Anna. You've got enough troubles with your career on top of looking after that deadbeat to be working for nothing. "

And with that the atmosphere became awkward. Looks of shock and disbelief appeared on most of the faces of group, save Mr. Wu who looked oblivious to the gravity of his comments. Sarah had noticed that Anna tensed up, as if to pounce, but was fighting to keep her face neutral. She had the feeling that if anyone else had said that they'd find themselves in a heap on the floor by now. "Well I do appreciate your concern _dad_ but we're doing fine on that front. And for the record, this isn't some dinky bake sale I've signed on for. "

Montebloom choose that opportunity to step in. "I'm surprised with you Peter. I was certain you would take this as the good news it is. This a great honour bestowed upon your family and yet you so readily scorn it!"

Mr. Wu was taken back by this outburst, "I apologize my friend, I was merely looking out for my daughter." Anna scoffed at this but was ignored. "I was not aware of the importance this event had to you." And he wasn't the only one puzzled by this factoid. Sarah had familiarized herself with his files and not once did any mention of the island or its local customs come up in relation to the mark.

"I've got to be honest, but I'm not familiar with the festival. Oh sure, I've seen the fliers around but that's about it. Would you mind giving some background on it? "Chuck asked. Good old Chuck, trying his best to deflate the situation.

"Very well," Montebloom began. "The Mai'tiqauka, or The Harvest Festival as it was anglicized to later, is a hallowed tradition that existed for centuries, predating the island's membership as a part of the United States. The native tribes had believed that their deities were not malicious beings but were rather playful and in search of amusement. Each year, they would put on spectacle, full of singing and dancing and whatever else they could devise to entertain the deities in the hopes of gaining their favor. If they were pleased, the natives would be rewarded with a plentiful year. Failure would risk drought and famine."

"Must be rough. It sounds as stressful as putting on a play, with the whole starving-if-you-mess-up part on top of that," Morgan added.

"At least having cold feet is the least of your worries, " Chuck chimed in.

Montebloom continued, "All so true. Now where was I? Ah yes, once Kahni'auka was formally made a part of the United States several of the natives' traditions were kept, the Mai'tiqauka numbering amongst them. Because of the showmanship involved, it became one of the island's main attractions for tourism, which as you know is one of the island's major sources of commerce. Anyone that contributes their efforts to the Harvest Festival is not only nurturing the financial welfare of the island but is also working to keep its history alive. "

"Thanks for filling me in. I got the feeling that this was a big deal but it just seemed awkward to just flat out ask someone about it," Chuck said.

"My pleasure," Montebloom replied. He turned to Anna and told her, "Now, before I was interrupted I was going to beg for an old man's forgiveness. I have a terrible habit of letting my enthusiasm get the best of me."

"It's alright, really. Not like I haven't put my foot in my mouth on one occasion, " Anna reassured him. "Well, might as well spill the beans. I've been put in charge of the whole fireworks show this year, which includes planning and setting the whole sheembang."

"And it's going to be amazing! Scratch that, it's going to be the stuff of legends!" Morgan exclaimed. 'It'll blow the Buymore's send off out of the water!"

"You're forgetting who your audience is again buddy," Chuck told him. He explained to the others, "On Morgan and Anna's last day at the Buymore, she decided to go out with a literal bang. At closing time, she rigged up a display that I have to admit was, to paraphrase my bro-in-law, 'Awesome'. I think Skipper put the whole thing on Youtube, which is handy since I'd suck at explaining the whole thing. I think he called it 'Buymore Blowout'. True, not exactly the most creative of titles but it does the job."

"My favorite part was the finale, when they spelled out 'Suck it Millbarf!', exclamation point and all."

"I remember that part well. Emmett Millbarge, that's the uptight control freak running the store at the time, looked like he was going to have a heart attack. I couldn't have hoped for a better reaction from that jerk!" Anna chimed in. Considering her loathing of the man, combined with her childhood love of fireworks, Sarah knew she had to watch that video.

"The fact that the last batch spooked a family of raccoons into landing on his car probably didn't help his all so sunny deposition either," Chuck added. "The way he looked afterwards you'd think someone read him some Vogon poetry." Oh_, now I got to watch the video AND send Casey the link_, Sarah thought to herself. Nothing like a good laugh at the expense of the man that forced him to work a double shift right after a mission went late.

At that moment, Shaw cleared his throat. He had been surprising quiet for most of the conversation, to the point that Sarah had almost forgotten about him. "While I am sure all of this riveting, I must borrow our gracious host for a moment."

Sarah was going to add something to that when her stomach rebelled against her. A stab of pain hit her suddenly and all at once all conversation had become moot. The only thing that crossed her mind now was finding the closest bathroom ASAP!

"Ah'm sorry dear, but Ah must exuse m'self. Ah need to get m'self to the lil' girls' room," She told Shaw.

"Very well. Whenever you are done meet me by the garden. The weather is too nice to stay in tonight and a walk would be exquisite. ," Shaw replied.

Muttering a round of goodbyes, she quickly made a beeline for the stairs. As she dashed for the bathroom she puzzled briefly over the stilted wording Shaw used before putting it out of her mind. She had more pressing matters to deal with.

Chuck took a sip of his drink, bored out of his mind. Anna's mom had dragged her off to meet some friends a few minutes ago and Morgan went along for the ride, the lucky devil. That left Chuck alone to suffer through a mind numbing amount of talk about real estate. The only reason he bothered to suffer through any of it was to make sure Sarah was ok. Her stomach was making a weird gurgling sound that was reminiscent of the sounds that victims' of The Mystery Crisper made and that's was never a good sign. Chuck glanced at his watch and almost swore. It had been 25 minutes since Sarah had left and that automaton posing as her husband didn't even show the slight bit of concern for her. According to Sarah, they were supposed to be the sappiest married couple and yet he was treating her like a misplaced book!

Now, Chuck might not have received anything resembling training but he did pick up some things about maintaining a cover during the times he posed as Charles Carmichael. Certain things, like the fact that your behaviour needed to match up with the story you're trying to sell, was just common sense for if you wanted to succeed/live to see tomorrow. The fact that this Rick guy, or whatever his real name is, was acting so oblivious to Sarah's distress from earlier was a major no-no if he was trying to act like a loving husband. The guy was practically waving a sign written in big bright neon saying "We are the most suspicious couple EVER!" and not even Sarah could overcome that. The only way to head this disaster in the making off was to get her out of the bathroom ASAP.

Thankfully, having an overprotective doctor for a sister paid off and Chuck was always prepared for a party emergency. Stomach meds and Advil were his constant companions to these things and they were always a big help. Figuring that he could at least play the good samaritan, Chuck offered Rick to share some of his meds with Ricky's 'wife' and was answered with a dismissive "Sure". If nothing else, the world's creepiest man was consistent in his jerk-ness. Taking that as a "Yes", Chuck headed up the stairs, forcing himself to take the stairs one at a time instead of making a mad dash up.

Thanks to a helpful security guard, Chuck found his way to the bathroom. It seemed that the bulk of the security team were working the party downstairs so the hall was mostly deserted. Knocking on the bathroom door, he waited a moment before calling out, "Hey Jen, you ok in there?"

"Chuck!" came the muffled response. She must have been genuinely surprised since he noticed the accent slip a moment. "What'cha doin' here?" And like that, the southern accent returned.

"Well, I noticed you were gone for awhile, so I thought you might want some stomach meds."

"Thank you! Mah guts are feelin' something fierce right now and Ah was afraid Ah'd be here all night. Must'a been somethin' ah ate."

"No kidding. I think someone screwed up with the cooking or the food went bad or something. It makes 3 week old McDonald's look edible. Anyways, let me get this to you." Taking out a blister pack, Chuck slides the medicine under the door. "Can you reach it?" he asked through the door.

A quick "Yup," was heard and Chuck could hear her swallow the pills dry. She must be desperate if she didn't need water. Chuck was about to turn around and head downstairs when Sarah's voice stopped him. "Thanks again Chuck. Yer a real sweetheart."

"No problem. I'm practically a walking pharmacy and I was overdue for my good deed of the day. "

"And here Ah thought you were just bein' charitable, " Sarah joked.

"What can I say, I have a quota to meet. Can't let something like a vacation get in the way," Chuck joked back.

"Seriously, thank you Chuck. Not many folks would go out of their way fer someone they just met. Dat girlfriend of yers must be one lucky lady to have such a good man like yerself."

Chuck grinned at her words. "Well, I consider myself to be a lucky man to have someone as wonderful as her in my life. Out of all of the girls I've dated in the past, I've never connected with one like I did with her. I feel that I could open up to her about anything, even the nerdy stuff she doesn't like, and she's been there for me and my family through thick and thin. I just hope that I can get the chance to show her just how special is she to me." As weird as it sounds talking to Sarah as if she wasn't there, Chuck was glad to get that off his chest. She did so much for him in the past and she deserved to hear how much she meant to him. Heck, she deserved a whole parade in her name with floats and marching bands and the whole nine yards while she got one of his patented foot rubs but this was the best he could do given the current circumstances.

"That's... that's amazing of you to say that Chuck. Yer just got to have faith that you'll git the chance. Ah can't imagine this stint of hers goin' much longer, so there's a good chance yer see 'er soon."

The conversation was cut short by the sound of breaking glass and then a loud crash from around the corner. "Chuck, what happened?" Sarah whispered from the door. From the tone of her voice it sounded like she was in agent mode.

"I'm not sure but if I had to guess, I'd go with a guard knocking over something pricey." Chuck answered in a low voice. "Why are we whispering?"

"Chuck, I have a bad feeling about this. You better get downstairs and get help, now!" Sarah replied with worry in her voice.

"On it." Chuck still wasn't sure what broke but something must be up if it put Sarah on edge. He was almost to the stairs when he was surprised, or rather he ran right into a man. After bouncing back a couple of steps, Chuck got a good chance to see the man. A short Latino man starred at him with a shocked look on his face. At first, Chuck thought it was another guard or another party goer but his hopes were dashed as he took in his appearance. It was easy to tell he was out of place and there in a non-friendly capacity because A) he wore grungy clothes instead of the usual uniform or suit B) he had a definitely nasty looking machete in hand C) he had the bad guy standard issue AK-47 strapped to his back and most telling was D) his shirt had red splotches on it that definitely were not ketchup.

Chuck's mind blanked out for a moment before he realized he needed a distraction. Before he knew what he was doing, he shouted at the man, "Hey, you got red on you!" as he pointed to his shirt. Whether it was due to luck or the man's shock overriding his common sense, he looked down for a moment as Chuck turned and fled. He barreled down the hall, looking for an open door to hide behind but was having no such luck. Chuck mentally cursed Mr. Montebloom's obsessive need for privacy as he tried door after door without any luck, only to run into a dead end. With flight no longer an option, Chuck looked around for something he could use to defend himself against the man. The only thing around he could heft was a vase that looked older than him and probably worth 3 times as much. For a moment he hesitated about using something that looked so expensive but his sense of self preservation won over. With the armed man was coming around the corner, Chuck took up as menacing a stance as he could muster with an antique in hand.

The man came to the conclusion that the pastel coloured gringo had ran out of places to run and was now trapped. Like any good horror movie killer, he advanced on his prey with a slow but steady pace. He was so intent on his quarry that he didn't notice the tall woman coming up behind him. Thanks to Chuck's actions, Sarah had been given the opportunity to stealthily approach the man. She was almost upon him when her treasonous stomach chose that opportunity to protest. In a flash the man pivoted and lashed out with his blade, missing her by an inch. Cursing her luck, Sarah retaliated with a flurry of punches but to no avail. Their unknown assailant seemed impervious to the wounds and attempted to lunge at her. However, his attempt was cut short when unexpectedly Chuck's commandeered vase ended up being plunked on his head. It must have been a snug fit as her foe struggled fruitlessly to lift it off his head. Seeing her opportunity, Sarah directed a kick to the man's groin and finished with a blow to the neck, putting him down for the count.

After making sure the man wasn't faking, she turned to Chuck with a worried look on her face. After making sure he wasn't hurt, she asked him, "Are you ok Chuck?"

"Yeah, no problems here except for a bruise or two from when I ran into him. I was like running right into a chest-high wall."

"Good", she replied before pulling him into a hug. There was so much she wanted to say to him but the words wouldn't come and time was limited. There was a very good chance that this was a prelude to something big. "I'm glad you're safe. I'm sorry to keep things short but I got to search this guy. He might have something on him that points to what's happening here."

"Oh right. You need a hand?" Chuck asked, hoping for any excuse to spend a little more time with his favourite blonde spy. Moments later, the two of them found themselves in what had to be the oddest activity any couple could do together: searching an unconscious thug for clues. In a strange way it reminded Chuck of the time he had to go through Jeff's pockets looking for the store keys. The vase on the head completed the similarities between both events. Sadly, the found nothing on him except for some spare magazines for the rifle and a small pistol, which she took for herself. She was debating what to do with the man when a second body slammed into the wall adjacent to them. A moment later, Anna walked up and delivered a nasty boot to the goon's head.

"That's for sucker punching my boyfriend you jerk!" Anna shouted at the downed man. "You ok honeybuns?" She called back to Morgan as he staggered into sight, clutching his jaw..

"Doing ok Anna, although I am feeling a bit on the wobbly side. Awesome can of whoop ass you unloaded on that guy by the way, "Morgan replied. Catching sight of Chuck and the lady writer he'd met earlier, leaning over someone wearing a vase for a helmet, he decided to go with the easiest question first. "You guys ok?" After everyone had answered yes, he continued. "Man, that was crazy! Here we were, looking for you Chuck so we can check out when this gorilla comes out of nowhere and practically jumped me! And it looks like he brought a friend too. Who were these jerks anyways?"

Chuck's reply was cut short by the unmistakeable sounds of gunfire coming from downstairs, followed by the command "Anybody move and you're dead!" It looked like this party just got itself a crowd of crashers and they were in no hurry to leave.

A/N : I don't believe that Sarah was aware that Orion kept tabs on Chuck throughout the years, so her understanding of certain events in season 2 is supposed to be inaccurate.

Reviews, insights, etc. are always welcome.


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: Thanks to everyone who left a review. It's always good to hear from folks. I'm not giving up on this story even though work and life in general seems to be always getting in the way.

Also, I like to give thanks to my #1 beta reader **jaytoyz**. He works the magic that makes my words more of a joy to read.

Still don't own Chuck.

**Chapter 7**

The sound of gunfire had brought everything to a halt. Any questions on the tips of the tongues of the newcomers had died a quick death, fear sidelining curiosity. Neither Anna nor Morgan had ever been near a gun but the quick succession of explosions left little doubt as to what was happening. "I think that was a gun." Morgan commented. He stopped for a moment before the thought sunk in. "Holy crap Chuck, somebody's shooting a gun in the house! " A litany of "Oh crap" followed as Morgan proceeded to freak out. Chuck, on the other hand had fallen silent, trying to think things through. In a way his calm had surprised him, considering that in the past he'd have been babbling right along with his buddy.

"Morgan, listen to me," Chuck started. If they were going to get out this alive, he was going to need to calm him down. "I know this scary for you, heck I'm not ashamed to admit my knees are shaking here, but we're all going to need to be as quiet as possible. I don't think anyone else knows we're up here so we're not in trouble yet. "

Scared as he may be, Chuck's words helped calm Morgan down. Whether it was ducking bullies in high school or dealing with a Code: Pineapple Chuck never steered him or anyone else in the mess wrong. In a way, the familiarity of following Chuck's lead helped push back the fear of a messy death. Morgan nodded a few times and after taking a couple of deep, centering breaths, focused his attention on his oldest friend. "Chuck, I'm sorry man, just freaking out like usual. You got a plan in mind?"

Sarah jumped in immediately. "Ah suggest we get outta this hallway and hunker down. No sense pickin' a fight with these folks." The situation had gone to pot in record time but at least she' d be able to do what she could to make sure Chuck and the others came out of this unscathed. She'd try to avoid suspicion as much as possible but if push came to shove she'd take action and face the consequences of a blown cover later.

"There... there's that room where the goon popped out of. He must have left the door open when he jumped Morgan," Anna annouced. Her voice was still shaky from the shock and she was trying her best to hide it.

"Great thinking Anna," Chuck complimented her. "Ok, here's what we'll do guys. We'll head over to that room and lock the door and barricade it as well. We could use my cell to call for help and then keep as quiet as possible. Is that ok with everyone?" With no objections, the group headed to the room with Sarah managing to subtlety take the lead. Moving stealthfully as possible or at least as stealthy as an operative could manage with 3 untrained civilians in tow, they made their way down the hallway. Thankfully, Mr. Montebloom's paranoia had helped out for once and the door had a working lock on it, which Chuck quickly put to good use.

Taking a moment, Sarah scanned the room they had taken refuge in. Judging from the appearance of the place, it was the master bedroom. Shaw had originally wanted to bug it but had quickly dismissed the idea once it became apparent the study was where Montebloom spent a chunk of his time and security was always tight around it. Sarah had been glad it was dismissed because the only way in there that wouldn't draw attention was a seduction attempt. According to rumors she'd overheard from the staff, Montebloom preferred to have his bodyguards watch whenever he took someone to bed and that would make it impossible to do anything if she made the attempt.

As she finished her sweep of the room, she noticed broken glass littering the ground near the far wall. Morgan's assailant had probably gained access by smashing the window after scaling the wall. Not an impossible job to do, seeing as how the house's exterior decorations could easily double as footholds, but she was surprised that they did so undetected. There were cameras strategically placed all over the grounds, the positioning leaving the smallest blind spots possible.

While Sarah was doing her security sweep, Chuck moved closer to the bed. He sat down and pulled his phone from his pocket, pausing with his fingers almost in contact with the display when a realization made him pause. Being new to the island, he had absolutely no idea where this spooky mansion was located. Being driven here was one thing but being able to give directions to the helpful 911 operators was something else. When voicing his concerns over this, Morgan volunteered to help give the address to the place on top of giving directions. The mansion was a bit off the beaten path and the concern that the cops would get lost on the way stuck in his mind. While the two of them were busy making the call, Anna plopped herself into one of the chairs. Too much had happened in such a short time and she needed a moment to collect her thoughts. How the hell did her night go from playing nice with mom's friends to hiding out in Smiley Dom's room with Chuck, Morgan and some gun toting redhead anyways? Wait, gun-toting?

"Hey Taylor, "Anna whispered to the redhead with the gun. She was so intent on watching the door that she didn't seem notice the attempts to get her attention. "Hey!" Anna repeated a bit louder. After finally rousing the writer from her watch, she asked her, "Where'd you get the gun from? Did you stuff it down your bra or something before going to parties?"

Sarah thought quickly. It'll look weird if she admitted to searching the man and they both knew there was nowhere, given the outfit she was wearing, where she could've hidden a pistol without drawing attention. "Ah found it next to that man once Chuck knocked him out wit' the vase. It must've fallen out of his pocket once he hit the ground. Ah must say, yer friend's a real lifesaver. Ah thought Ah was a goner when that man came at me with that big knife."

"Really? Chuck knocked him out? Well I'll be damned, I didn't think he had it in him." When she spotted the look on Sarah's face, Anna elaborated, "Oh, I'm not calling him a wuss or anything. Chuck's a good guy but I always got the vibe that he was a pacifist at heart. From my experience he'd try talking him down rather than come out swinging."

Sarah answered, trying to keep the pride from her voice, "Yer be surprised what some folks are capable of when the chips are down. If this were an angry customer, Ah bet you'd be right. But this ain't no angry customer at the Techshack, at least Ah ain't seen one bring a hog sticker along. Sometimes yer need more than a few stern words to stop a fight." Chuck's action did surprise her at the time, but it did help downplay her involvement in the hallway fight. People tend to focus more attention on a woman who can hurt you in an assortment of ways.

"We worked at the Buy More, not Techshack, but I guess you're right. Aside from that time the guy plowed into the store and held us all hostage, I never did see Chuck in a fight or anything else scarier than Black Friday so anything is possible. "

"Well, anyone with the guts to work among that mayhem is mighty brave in mah mind. If mah recollections are any good, Black Friday ain't exactly a walk in the park."

"All so true," Anna agreed. "The stuff I've seen during that time would make your toes curl."

Chuck finished his phone call and turned to the others. "So, I just got off the phone with the 911 people. They've got cops on the way but it'll take time for them to get out here, this mansion being in the middle of nowhere and all."

Morgan came up to Anna and draped an arm over her, hugging her close as she leaned into him. "Looks like getting away from it all finally bit the guy on the a... err... bum," Morgan stated. If nothing else, Bolonia did a good job teaching her little boy not to swear in from of a lady. "But hey, being in the boonies means more space, and that means more places to hide out. Those guys would probably get lost before they find us."

As if on cue, a series of footsteps were heard coming around the corner. Thanks to Mr. Montebloom's decision to leave the polished wood floors without carpeting, everyone could hear someone coming from a mile away. To Sarah it sounded like one person walking by, most likely a man from the heaviness of the steps. Everyone held their breath (quiet literally in Morgan's case) as the unknown party walked by. Whoever it was didn't have any interest in the bedroom and continued along the corridor. After some time had passed and the man didn't come back, the four began to relax.

Anna sighted as she considered the situation. This close encountered just hammered home some hard truths to her. "I really hope you're right sweetie. I can take one of those chumps in a fair fight but I'm no good if they're waving machine guns around. Not even that gun Mrs. Taylor grabbed off that guy will be much help against 5 guys. No offense to you or your skills Mrs. T."

"None taken. I haven't gone shootin' since high school and that wuz wit' mah pa's Winchester, not this tiny thing, "Sarah replied. Good thing she was supposed to be Texan or else she'd have had to explain why she was so comfortable with guns. Sadly, having said gun did little to help the situation. She hated to admit it but Anna was right on the money. The pistol was a .25 caliber, which means it has about only 6 shots and not much in the way of stopping power. Unless she pegged an assailant in the head (which is much harder to do in real life than the movies would have you believe), she'd have to empty the gun to neutralize them. If there were 2 or more hostiles she'd be ripped to shreds in a moment. "But Ah wouldn't mind partin' wit' it if one of you can shoot."

"Well... I have gotten to level 4 of _Time Crisis_ without dying. Does that count?" Chuck joked.

A chuckle, a real one not that cover stuff, came from Sarah. "'Fraid not Chuck. One thing different is that the aimin' sights on this aren't monkeyed with." Those arcade video games were as rigged as carnival games as far as she was concerned. How else could you explain how a marksman like her couldn't hit the proverbial side of the barn the one time Chuck talked her into trying it?

"Probably for the best. I don't know if I could pull the trigger if it came down to it." Chuck admitted with a rueful smile.

Silence had fallen and the timing was impeccable. From the other side of the door voices could be heard, starting out distant but slowly getting louder. This time there were more footsteps heard, their echoes sounding more urgent. This approaching group were obviously much angrier than the first, lone scout, as made obvious by the repetitive sound of doors being kicked in and the accompanying stream of Spanish curses that increased in volume as the unknown searchers got closer. Chuck and Anna's fluency in the language was lacking but they could easily tell the nature of the outbursts from the sour look on Morgan's face. Sarah on the other hand was paying more attention to the pattern of breached doors. Instead of clearing the rooms systematically, the men seemed to be picking a door at random and proceeding to batter their way in using the noisiest and most drawn out fashion possible. Whoever the group were, they certainly weren't trained professionals.

Eventually one member of the search party had stopped by the bedroom, just hovering right outside the door. Sarah could hear the distinct ping of a lighter being used, followed by the smell of smoke. The lone man was thankfully too wrapped up in enjoying his smoke to pay any mind to the room he stood by, even going as far as leaning against the locked door. Sure that the bedroom would be overlooked, the four occupants exchanged relieved looks and tentative smiles. Just as the man had righted himself and moved to rejoin the others, an odd sound caught his attention. Sarah's traitorous stomach had chosen this opportunity to start acting up again, alerting the thug to her position. "Oh Gawd, not again!" she murmured to herself.

_BLAM! _A fist-sized hole was blasted into the door as Chuck and Sarah threw themselves to the ground and Morgan ended up tackling Anna onto the carpet. The tell-tale sound of a shotgun pump being worked was heard soon after. In a shot, Sarah had gotten back on her feet and proceeded to fire 2 shots through the door's new peephole. Neither shot struck home but it was enough to cause the shooter to fall back. "Hell, we won't last long if that door isn't fortified. Is there any we could use to hold it shut?" Sarah asked, her steady voice lending a sense of calm to the ready to panic trio who were staring in her direction.

"How about that big closet thing?" Morgan suggested, pointing towards the object on the far side of the room.

"The wardrobe? That'll be perfect!" Sarah replied.

"Good call buddy!" Chuck exclaimed. "We might be able to budge it if we throw all of our weight behind it. Come on!" While much effort, the four of them managed to haul it out of the corner before accidently toppling it over. Thankfully, it ended up lodging in the door's frame where it sat diagonally across the door. In addition to the wardrobe, a pair of dressers, a modern looking desk and an ornate rocking chair was added to the make-shift barricade. For good measure, Morgan tossed in a pair of throw pillows "Just in case". The whole mess shuttered a few times from the efforts to force open the door but against all odds it held together.

"Woof! I haven't done this much heavy lifting since Millbarge dragged me into Warehouse duty. Can't say I missed it," Anna said.

"Doesn't sound like yer like this Millbarge character much, " Sarah replied.

"I don't think his own mother like him much," Chuck admitted. "Do you think all of this will hold?"

"Hmm... Well, it ain't built tah code but it outta hold off a bit. Prolly need a bulldozer to get through that heap," Sarah offered. Or explosives, Sarah silently added to herself. '_We'd all be in big trouble if they came prepared. Well, bigger trouble', _she added silently when she felt her stomach lurch once again. '_Damn that crap Montebloom passed off as food!_ '

The banging at the door had gone silent all of a sudden and whispers could be heard faintly on the other side of the makeshift barricade before the floors creaked ominously. It didn't take a genius to figure that the men were up to something and Sarah didn't want to stick around to find out the 'crew' had up their collective sleeves. Crossing the room to look out the window, she scanned the side of the house and the yard in the hope that they could climb out the window and make their escape. Sadly, her hopes were quickly dashed. The side of the house was devoid of hand or foot holds and the yard was covered in lights, illuminating the area well enough that she could scan the grounds and pick out the hostiles out there. She could easily note their patrol patterns and use it to get the drop on them. However, the lights were a double-edged sword. The gunmen were most like be on guard now and they could easily use her for target practice. Maybe if she dropped halfway down while they weren't looking...

Morgan walked over beside her and peaked out the window. "Hey, you're not thinking of going out the window, are you?" he asked.

"Well, yah. Them boys sounded mighty pissed before and the just stopped. Ah may be graspin' at straws but they probably got somethin' nasty in mind and Ah aim to get us out if Ah can, "Sarah replied.

"Well I'm no escape artist but I wouldn't suggest it. Mr. Montebloom keeps a cactus garden and it's sitting right below us. You'd be in a metric ton of pain if you land on those suckers. "

"Well, there goes that plan. Ah also thought t'climb onto the roof but got them spikes lined all 'round." If Sarah didn't know any better she'd think Montebloom designed the place to keep people in as well as out.

Morgan shook his head when he heard the new. " Man, the more I learn about the guy the crazier he sounds. Not only does he basically re-create something out of your garden variety horror movie in the most tropical of states but also keeps cacti around. He's mixing motifs! Who does that?" Morgan shouted.

"Crap that looks like it hurts. Are you ok?" Anna asked.

Sarah turned to shoot her a puzzled look, "Kinda funny question to ask Ms. Wu. What should hurt? Ah'm absolutely..." As she ran her hand through her hair she touched something slick. "fine." Moving her hand in front of her, she noticed it was covered in blood, her blood.

Anna shook her head at the response. Damn that woman's hillbilly bravado."You got to be kidding me! You got a trail running down your neck," she pointed out.

"Holy crap you're right!" Chuck exclaimed, not quiet panicking but getting close to the neighborhood. "What happened? Are you feeling woozy? Maybe you should sit down, just don't lie down. You might be tempted to fall asleep and my sister, she's a doctor you know, she told me that it's never a good idea when you've suffered a head injury."

Sarah raised her non-gore filled hand to cut off the stream of Chuck babble. His concern was appreciated but she needed to get a word or two in. "Chuck, I'm fine! Head wounds aren't pretty but Ah'm quiet sure this one ain't as bad as yer makin' it out t'be. "

"She's right. Remember that time in high school when I got beaned in the nads with that baseball and got that cut on my noggin after landing head first on that fire hydrant? I didn't even loose a pint of blood that day," Morgan chimed in. Anna and Sarah both winced in empathy at the casual declaration.

"Yeah, I remember you needing a few stitches after, "Chuck replied. "Still, I want to take a look at it. It could get infected if we don't do something about it soon."

"Fair 'nuff. Let's head to the can and see what we can rustle up," Sarah answered.

The group moved into the bathroom, not wanting to separate. The bathroom was as luxurious as the rest of the house but sadly lacked much in the way of first aid. Chuck and Morgan had searched the cabinets in earnest but the only remotely useful stuff they came up with was some rubbing alcohol and a bottle of aspirin. The rest the stuff consisted of an assortment of awful smelling colognes, moisturizers and oddly enough a rubber ducky. "Geez, the guy doesn't even a single band-aid lying around here, "Chuck said. "Ah well, guess we should take a look at your head Mrs. Taylor. Come over to the sink, the lighting is the best around there. "

"Thought Ah told yer to call me Jennifer, Chuck. Honestly, Ah think we're past all that formal stuff, "Sarah told him as she joined him by the sink. Anna volunteered to keep an eye on her after she stumbled a couple of times over. Nobody was sure how much blood she'd lost and according to Anna she looked wobbly on her feet. With much care, Chuck slowly sifted through her hair as he searched for the wound. Although she didn't show it, Sarah had to fight down a shiver as his hands ran through her hair. Until that moment she didn't realized how much she had missed his touch over the past year and was tempted to simply luxuriate in it, immediate danger be damned. Once Chuck's roving hands had stopped, she spoke up. "How's the ol' melon looking Chuck? Got anything stuck in mah head?"

Chuck cleared his throat. "Thankfully no Mrs er... Jennifer. You do have a cut though and it's still bleeding a bit. We should probably find something to bandage it in after we get it cleaned up. I don't know what we can use to wrap it up with though."

"We can use some of the linen 'round here and cut it up into strips. Any piece will do as long as it's clean, " Sarah offered, torn between the pleasure of Chuck's attention and the need for self preservation..

"Right, I'll on it!" Morgan called out before dashing out the bathroom door.

After he left, Sarah looked up at Chuck. "Ah'm not complainin' but Ah'm impressed yer guys know anythin' 'bout first aid. Don't imagine yer need it in computer business."

Chuck shrugged. "Actually, we all had to take first aid courses while we were at the Buy More. Besides having a doctor for a sister, I picked up some tips from those. I think they made them mandatory after some trouble went down. "

Anna added, "Yup, remember when I told you about the guy crashing into the store? He ended up shooting off a toe off of our grumpy co-worker John Casey. Casey got pissed off because nobody knew how to help him and basically threw the manly equivalent of a hissy fit. I think he lodged a complaint with the boys upstairs and they must have smelled a lawsuit coming if they ignored it because they made us take the courses a couple of weeks after. "

"Good thing too. I'd feel bad if we couldn't do anything for your cut," Chuck explained.

Morgan entered the room as quickly as he left and plopped a bundle of sheets on the counter. "Hey guys, turns out that the linen closet isn't in here so I ended up stripping the sheets off the bed. They smelled okay but I can't guarantee there's no creepy-crawlies lurking in them."

"That's fine," Sarah replied. "Ah can't really complain when mah head's gushin'. We better rip 'em up into strips to make it easier to wrap around mah head, unless one of yer found scissors." At that moment she cursed the fact that she couldn't reach for one of her knives without tipping the others off. She'd have the job done in no time, unless she got woozy and ended up cutting herself.

"Not a problem. I got just the tool for the job, " Chuck said as he fished around in his pockets. A moment later he produced a Swiss Army knife. "Good thing a got this for a birthday gift this year. Best gift Devon ever got me."

"Got to say I'm surprised the good captain got you something useful for once. Those tacky orange tracksuits you ended up dumping on me really doesn't work well with my complexion, "Morgan quipped.

"All so true buddy. Anyways, we've still got to clean that cut. You mind putting your knife skills to work?"

"Sure thing, "Morgan said as he accepted the multi-tool.

"And I'll make sure you don't fall over and crack your head if you black out, "Anna volunteered. "Still can't believe Mr. Perfect got those hideous things. They didn't even burn right!"

While Morgan proceeded to make some makeshift bandages, Chuck and Anna proceeded to clean out the wound. While Chuck dabbed rubbing alcohol on the cut Anna tried to distract her by regaling her with tales of her time on the island. Chuck winced whenever Sarah hissed but he persevered at his task. Once Morgan was done his task, he handed the strips and the tool to Chuck. The strips were fatter than what was needed but they managed to get the job done.

While Chuck was checking the bandages' snugness, a loud thud was heard coming from the other room. "Hey Morgan, did you move anything in ..." Chuck asked before a loud explosion cut him off. Bits of wood and feather could be seen flying through the air as the once plush bed was reduced to kindling. Operating by instinct Sarah slammed the bathroom door shut and locked it, for whatever good that would do. Realizing that she appeared all too calm for the situation, she let out, "Bah Gawd, they're tryin' to kill us!"

"Holy crap, they're trying to blow us up!" Chuck exclaimed.

"Why the hell are they trying to blow us up?" Anna shouted back.

Adding to the cacophony, Morgan exclaimed, "What? I can't hear what you're saying!" Although visibly unharmed, he had been standing the closest to the door when the explosion occurred and it was evident that he was having trouble hearing.

Sarah ignored the outburst and franticly scanned the room looking for anything useful. The cabinets were too small to duck into and the room lacked a shower stall to hide in. The one saving grace was the large old fashioned bathtub sitting at the opposite side of the unusually large bath room. Unlike modern tubs, this huge antique looked to be made of cast iron and would make for some half-way decent cover. Chuck had caught on when he noticed her gaze rest on the tub and jumped in. "Come on guys, hop in! If my knowledge of Nick Cage movies serves me right, the tub will help protect us if they try to blow us up again!"

"Michael Bay better not be wrong about this!" Anna said as she joined him and pulled Morgan in with her. Poor Morgan's ears were still ringing and he couldn't hear him so well. For a moment he thought he heard 'Luke Cage' and wondered why he was talking about a comic character, especially a Marvel one. Chuck was a DC guy through and through.

Sarah was the last one in after scooping the pistol up from the counter. Although her ears were still recovering she could just make out someone shouting through the door. A flurry of Spanish was spoken in harsh tones, promising further violence. With a final cry that sounded roughly like, "This is for Ambrose", a match was struck and the man quickly ran away from the door. As soon as she recognized the sound, Sarah ducked her head down. Dynamite! Those lunatics are going to bring the whole house down at this rate! Much to her surprise, Chuck threw himself on top of her just before the charge went off. The room shook from the blast and the air was full of dust. Thankfully nobody was seriously hurt but half the bathroom wall had been decimated in the blast. There were no more alternatives left but to fight. After telling the others to stay put, she pulled herself out of the tub and moved to the side of the newly made door to the hallway. For once Chuck stayed put, although she couldn't be sure if it was the blast or the fact that it wasn't a car he was told to stay in.

Sarah peered out and waited for the first wave of men to appear. With the all too small pistol gripped firmly in her hand, she steeled herself for the inevitable gunfight that was sure to go down. Or at least it was supposed to. Anybody with half a mind would take this opportunity to launch an attack while their targets were incapacitated. Minutes went by and yet not a soul appeared. 'What the frak were these guys playing at?' Sarah thought to herself. She was answered by a serious of searchlights flooding the windows all around her. It was the cops. Finally, the cavalry had arrived. With a sigh of relief, she allowed herself to slide down the wall. Her inner agent's voce yelled at her for not securing the area but she was too tired to care.

After a moment, Chuck came out of the washroom and wrapped a dark jacket around her shoulders before offering her a hand. Realizing, the jacket wasn't his, she asked him about it. "Oh I wanted to do the chivalrous thing but Morgan wouldn't let me. I am wearing a lender after all." When the coast was clear, the four of them decided to head down. On the way to the stairs, they encountered the body of a man they hadn't seen before, lying in a heap. With the unnatural angle his head was at it was obvious that he was well beyond help. Morgan did his best to shield Anna from the sight while they hurried down the stairs. '_So that's why they were hell-bent on coming after us'_ Sarah thought to herself. The gunmen had assumed that their comrade's killer was hiding in the bedroom and wanted to take their revenge.

Coming out on the lawn, Chuck could see that the police had things in hand. An odd assortment of men were being loaded into police wagons as paramedics looked after various party goers. Morgan had spotted Anna's parents almost immediately as one paramedic was examining Peter's head while Rachel looked on. She sat on the bumper of the ambulance looking on transfixed on the whole display. Upon seeing Anna her expressed changed to what Morgan would later describe as a cocktail of relief and melancholy.

Through tears her mother explained what had happened, how the men had burst in and had demanded everyone to give up their valuables. "I ended up giving up my wedding ring but I stuffed my locket in my bra, "she explained. "It was your great grandmother's after all." But things had escalated soon after. Something had happened, she wasn't sure what, but it was enough to put the men on edge. Some talked about taking hostages "for insurance" and had picked her as one. As one of the men reached out to grab her Peter had intervened and knocked the man over. One of the man's friends had taken offence to that and had smashed him in the head a few times before the leader had intervened. "The worst thing was those horrible explosions!" Rachel exclaimed. "I couldn't see you anywhere and I thought you were killed!"

Anna wrapped her mother in a hug and held her for a moment. Remembering that their new Texan friend still needed to be looked at, she looked over to the others and said, "Hey guys, I'm going to stick around here for a bit with my folks." And to Morgan she asked, "You mind helping Chuck get Jen checked out, baby? I think he'd need help in case she blacks out."

"No problem m'lady. I'll be back before you know it!" Morgan replied. Without another word spoken, the three of them headed over to the next ambulance where a medic was just giving another party goer some anti-acids. The woman removed some of the bandages and had begun examining the head wound. While scanning the area, Chuck saw a familiar face in the crowd. Upon seeing the man that called himself Richard Taylor, Chuck waved him over. Sarah was reunited with her fake husband and the man wrapped her in a tight hug. While in close he must have whispered something to her, since Chuck caught her face cloud over in rage for a moment before self-control took over. Before they headed back to Anna and her folks, Taylor came over to thank him briefly. At least he wasn't oblivious to the odd looking bandages wrapped around her head.

The problem with all of this attention was the fact that it always attracted the news hounds and this wasn't an exception. He could see that one determined reporter lady had slipped past the cops and was moving in their general direction. Chuck wasn't sure if she was interested with interviewing the Wu family or Sarah but he knew he couldn't let her get close to either. Besides sparing Anna's mom further grief, it was paramount that he help keep Sarah's face off the news at all costs if he didn't want to endanger her or whatever it is she was doing here. So that just left one option. Turning to Morgan, he asked, "Hey buddy, you ready for your 15 minutes of fame?" before moving in to intercept. If she wanted a story he was going to give it to her, with the help of Mr. 'Never without a story and/or theory' himself, Morgan Grimes.

0-0

**11:09 PM Motel Room 204**

The ragged man sat there pouring over the rough sketches he made of the perimeter while the TV blares soothing white noise in the background. He was planning his exit strategy when a late night news broadcast came on. A story was on about some sort of robbery gone wrong at some Richie-rich's house, nothing to worry about. The reporter on the scene had managed to get an interview with one of the victims, a lanky out of towner. When the man's face was shown, the now familiar bombardment of information flowed through him. All at once, the man's identity was known to him. Carmichael! Orion's ally was close enough to smell! Once again the powers that be had granted him a mercy after the days .. months or was it years? How long had it been since he volunteered to get this damn this in his head? Well, after being fate's punching bag it was time to get control of his mind again. Carmichael definitely wouldn't help him with the procedure, not without the right incentive, but he was sure that he could get him to co-operate. All he needed was the right tools.

A/N: When it comes to the idea of seduction missions, I find myself agreeing with ninjaVanish's idea about them (using the pretense of sex to isolate the mark) rather than the idea that an agent would actually sleep with the mark. I bring this up because I touched upon seduction missions this chapter and it always irked me whenever somebody writes about them involving agents sleeping with marks, since it seems the most unnecessarily dangerous way of accomplishing a mission. I might have Sarah talk about them in the future, if I can think of a good setup. Also, Techshack is to Radio Shack as Buy More is to Best Buy in my story.

Remember, reviews are always welcome.


	8. Chapter 8

A/N: Nothing big, just wanted to say thanks to all the good people that reviewed this story.

A big old "Thank You" once again goes to jaytoyz for beta-ing this thing.

**Chapter 8**

**7:48 AM The Taylors' Guest Room, East Wing of Montebloom Manor**

Sarah slowly closed the bathroom door and shook her head to clear the cobwebs. She hadn't been able to sleep the night before due to her stomach problems and the fact that she had been up the previous night planning the op didn't help matters. On the bright side, it did have an unintentional benefit: the amount of gas she'd been passing was enough to drive to Shaw to take the couch. It was nice to have a bed to herself without having to worry about the man getting handsy, even if she was constantly heading to the can. Sarah doubted that she'd be able to last the night without causing him serious damage anyways after last night.

Whatever animosity she held towards the man had multiplied tenfold when he muttered two words into her ear the night before: "Mission Accomplished." He still was tight-lipped about what the intended distraction was supposed to be and he hadn't outright denied any involvement with the thieves when she questioned him about last night. Sarah figured that it was for the best that he'd kept his own council on the matter. If he had the gall to lie to her face about the matter she'd have made him sleep on Montebloom's cactus garden.

Entering the adjacent room, she noticed Shaw seated at the nearby table with his laptop open. Thankfully, their room was on the other side of the manor so none of their gear had been damaged. Moving closer, she noticed that there was footage of the study in view.

Without turning around, Shaw said to her, "Good morning Walker. Are you ready to get to work?"

"Only if my stomach will allow it. I think it's been getting better but I don't know how reliable it is right now, "Sarah reluctantly admitted.

Shaw contemplated this for a moment. "If you're still ill, it's probably best that you stay in today. This will help generate a plausible alibi for tomorrow when you're monitoring the meeting. Since I did your job yesterday it is only fair that you do mine."

"Fair enough," Sarah said, using her training to keep a straight face. She couldn't believe it, Daniel Shaw wasn't being his usual stubborn self. "What are you going to be up to in the meantime?"

"Oh, Mr. Montebloom offered to take us horseback riding this morning. I will be sure to inform him of your upset stomach when he asks about your absence. And Walker, next time you deviate from the mission, I will be reporting it to the Director. I do not tolerate insubordination and Graham isn't around to cover for his favorite pet any longer." And with that, Shaw got up and left. Sarah knew that there were rumors floating around the office about her but she didn't realize that it had gotten bad enough to poison a fellow agent's perception of her. Sitting down at the seat Shaw vacated, she decided to run diagnostics on the setup. This mission was getting worse by the minute and she couldn't afford to have anything else to go wrong.

**7:59 AM Grimes/Wu Residence**

Chuck's eyes flickered open as his mind drifted back to consciousness. The fact that he had gotten any sleep at all, after all that had happened the night before, was a surprise, especially after the police questioning he'd been subjected to that night. He was certain that he'd be up all night after the getting the third degree but as soon as his head hit the pillow, he was out like a light. He guessed that the stress had exhausted him to the point that he couldn't think. And boy, he was glad that he couldn't rummage up enough brain power to dream.

What singled Chuck out for questioning the night before was the fact that two bodies were found upstairs and considering the fact that he was among the few up there during that time, it had certainly gotten the cops' attention. Besides the unknown man they'd encountered on the way out the other body belonged to an unfortunate security guard who was stuffed haphazardly into a closet. He had told them about the footsteps heard before the man's allies came up but had left out his suspicions about the man's assailant. Chuck didn't want to risk drawing attention to Sarah or himself. Like Casey told him one mission, being over-eager to help an investigation is a sure-fire way to draw a cop's attention and the last thing you want is a cop's interest. That is, unless you're eager to enjoy their special brand of hospitality.

After trying to fall back asleep for an hour and failing miserably, Chuck gave up and rolled out of bed. He was going to sneak a peek into the living room until he remembered that no unusually voyeuristic yoga would be taking place that morning. Anna had followed her parents to the hospital that night and Morgan had followed after dropping Chuck off. Opening the door, Chuck was greeted with the sounds of Anna's deep snores. It must have been late when they got back and the two of them had drifted off to asleep on the couch, just like he should be. Picking up his phone, Chuck silently headed to the kitchen in search of sorely needed coffee. While the magical morning elixer brewed, he turned the phone back on to play some Angry Birds. Five voice messages awaited him, two from a frantic Ellie, and one each from Bolognia, Devon and his father. Considering the time difference, he figured that they must have caught the news on TV by now. Chuck decided to call all of them after breakfast. There was no way he'd be able to deal with Red Alert Ellie on an empty stomach. After polishing off a bowl of cereal and a large mug of coffee (the breakfast of champions!) he deposited his dishes in the sink, picked his phone up from the table and stepped out onto the balcony.

A warm tropic breeze welcomed him as he stepped outside, ruffling his hair and reminding him that he definitely wasn't in smoggy L.A. "Time to make some calls," Chuck thought to himself. "But where to start? Hmmm... best start off easy. " His first call went out to Bolognia, sure that if he'd have an calm an excited Mama Grimes, he could work his way up to his sister who was probably drifting close to full blown panic mode. Morgan's mom was sad to hear about Anna's father ending up in the hospital but was glad to hear that Chuck, Anna and her "hijo pequeño" were alright. Next up was Devon, who was anxious to curious to hear about the event, thinking it was one of Chuck's spy-capades. He almost sounded crushed to hear that it was a desperate cash grab and not the grand cloak and dagger scenario he envisioned. Chuck could almost picture the 'Captain's' crestfallen look as he told him, "Yup, definitely not spy related stuff. From what the cops told me, they think it was pirates that had hit the party, because you know, some of them had escaped by boat." He wanted to laugh, hearing Devon mood perk up at the mention of the word 'pirates' being used.

"Oh yeah, the news mentioned the pirate thing this morning. Weird, you'd think they'd stick to the sea," his brother-in-law replied, clearly happy with 'pirates' but not as happy as he would have been with 'spies'.

"Guess they must be looking to branch out," Chuck guessed. Chuck offered, remembering that the exact same thought had crossed his mind the night before.

"Guess so. Hey, got to applaud your style bro. Not everyone can pull off the 80's look," Devon added before reminding Chuck to call Ellie and then saying goodbye after a voice in the background informed that "Dr. Woodcombe was needed in the ER".

The call to Ellie was next on the docket and it went better than he expected. The fact that he still had his hearing was a good barometer for her mood. Sure she sounded worried but it was tempered by the fact that Chuck was standing up unassisted throughout the whole interview. Even so, she was upset that Chuck hadn't called her right afterwards.

"I'm sorry El," Chuck replied. "I'm not trying to keep this a secret or anything. Truth of the matter is, as soon as I got back to the apartment I sat down on the bed to take off the old shoes and socks, I leaned back for a moment and the next thing I knew I just dropped off. Who knew that cowering under some rich guy's bed could be so tiring?"

The line went silent for a moment before Chuck heard a sigh from Ellie. "That's alright Chuck. I just got so worried about you that I forgot how draining it is when you're constantly fearing for your life. Guess I'm being the overprotective sister again huh?"

"Just a bit, "Chuck replied. "I do appreciate you looking out for me though."

"I'm glad to hear you're alright, although I'm surprised Morgan hasn't called me yet. You know how he likes to make excuses to bother me. Is he okay?"

Chuck answered, "Yeah, he's alright. He's still asleep on the couch." Realizing how bad that sounded, he embellished, "Well, last time I checked both he and Anna were fast asleep on the couch. They must have gotten back from the hospital late last night. Or more accurately early this morning. Morgan dropped me off around midnight last night and I didn't hear them come in."

"Oh no! Did something happen to her last night?" Despite her misgivings about the woman, she truly did worry about Anna. That was just the type of person she was and Chuck wouldn't change that for the world.

"She's fine. She ended up going to the hospital to for her dad. I'm not sure what happened exactly but I think he'd ended up hitting his head on something during all of the commotion." Chuck explained, obviously over the extent of the injuries that Mr. Wu had sustained.

"Well, it's a good thing he went in for observation then. Even a simple bang to the forehead could cause a concussion and those could get pretty nasty if left unattended to. But I wouldn't suggest sharing that with Anna or her mother right now. You don't want to scare them anymore than they've been already," Ellie said in her doctor's voice. For a moment Chuck could faintly hear someone in the background. "Looks like I got to run. I hope the rest of your vacation goes better and tell Anna I hope her dad turns out ok."

"Will do sis. Tell everyone I say 'hi'."

The last call was to his father. It was still an odd feeling being able to call the elder Bartowski whenever he wanted to, especially after years of one sided communication with letters and later postcards. As the phone rang, Chuck realized it would be around 10-ish in LA and was afraid that he might not be able to reach him. On the fourth ring he was about to end the call when he heard his father's voice on the phone. Unlike Ellie and Bolognia, Stephen's voice was even as he asked the usual "are you okay" type of questions. Soon afterwards, he started bringing up the uncomfortable spy stuff that Chuck had dimly hoped to avoid. There was a reason why he chose he father last on his list of people to call after all.

"For the last time Dad, there was no spy mission!" Chuck whispered angrily into the phone. "And why are we talking about this over the phone anyways? I'm using a regular iPhone to call you and I'm not willing to toss $300 out the window in case someone tries to triangulate my position. "

"Don't worry Charles, I've taken precautions so nobody can listen in on our conversation," Stephen casually mentioned. "And I'm not so sure that there was no mission in play."

"Look Dad, I admit I'm not exactly Ian Fleming here but I could tell that was no spy mission. These guys were lunatics, not professionals! A bunch of them beat the crap out of Anna's dad for no reason and they almost blew us up!"

"Hmmm... I wasn't aware of that. You're interview on the news was generally vague and they didn't report anything of the sort. They probably suppressed it for some reason. You have any idea why?"

It took a moment for the gears to start grinding in Chuck's head. Finally, he said, "Well, I seem to recall that Anna had mentioned that her dad is a diplomat to Taiwan. But I doubt that has anything to do with what happened last night."

"Well, I'll keep monitoring the chatter in that region. There's definitely a CIA sub-station on the island and so far there's been a lot more activity there than in the past. Some of it refers to the man whose house you were in when the situation occurred. " The man who once answered to Orion cleared his throat for a moment. Remembering back to childhood, Chuck knew that was this was a prelude to his father telling him something important. "Charles, how much contact have you had with this man, Montebloom?"

"I just met him last night at the dinner party. Why are you asking?" Chuck asked, right before it dawned on him. "Now wait a minute Dad, this doesn't have anything to do with you-know-what. I ended up going because Anna got roped into this thing last minute and of course Morgan had to go too and they weren't just going to leave me at home alone. There is absolutely no way anyone could have known I was coming."

"You're probably right Charles. There's no record of any surveillance being done in the area so this must have been horrible timing. Even so, there's too much activity going on there for my liking. I'd wish you'd cut your trip short and visit your friends some other time."

"Not going to happen Dad. Look, I know you're worried for me but I'm not going to let this scare me from living my life. Anna and Morgan have been hurt by this thing and I want to stick around to give them my support. I'm not going to turn my back on them no matter how scary things get. "

Stephen sighed into the phone. There seemed to be a lot of that going on today. "I appreciate your loyalty to your friends Charles but I wish you'd reconsider. If something happens while you're visiting, there's not much I can do for you. This isn't like before when you've had Agents Casey and Walker overseeing your protection."

Chuck bristled at the impersonal way he referred to Sarah. The topic of their relationship still was a sore spot between them and Chuck was fed up with the whole "she's just using you to get close enough to keep tabs on me" argument. It was worst than a "Will they, won't they" sub-plot on some TV show that lasts 2 seasons too long.

"I'll be fine _Dad_," Chuck answered angrily. "I have managed fine on my own for quiet sometime without needing an armed babysitter 24/7. Nope, I've managed to navigate the hostile environment of Stanford and later the urban jungle of the Buy More without accidently maiming myself with a spork, thank you very much. I will tell Sarah what high regard you have for her bodyguard skills. She's always too hard on herself about them and I'm sure she'd love to hear how highly you regard them. You never do get much in the way of positive feedback in the business."

It took Stephen a moment to recover from the sudden tonal shift. He was bracing himself for another one of their arguments and all of a sudden Charles was praising the Walker woman. Sometimes his own son's train of thought seemed alien to him. No wonder he was able to confound so many hardened criminals and terrorists in the past. "You're as stubborn as your mother, " Stephen replied, unsure if that was a good thing or not, at least when it came to his safety. "Well, if I can't persuade you to come home then at least keep your distance from Mr. Montebloom and his cohorts. From what I've gathered the man keeps some shady company, excluding Mr. Wu of course. Will that be a problem?"

"Not at all Dad. Anna isn't exactly a fan of snobby types and I doubt Mr. Montebloom is going to have company over anytime soon. Plus I think Morgan has him on Double-Secret Probation for serving such rancid food last night."

"Double-Secret? Isn't that a little harsh?" Stephen chuckled, remembering the night he'd found his eight year old son watching Animal House while his wife dozed at the other end of the couch. The sound of laughter was a rarity coming from Stephen's mouth. Since coming back into his life he'd been more severe than Chuck remembered as a kid. "Not if you sample some of that 'fine' cuisine. It made Morgan gag!"

"That does sound terrible. When I was reviewing surveillance footage from the Buy More I witnessed him eating a 3 year old noodle casserole without even flinching. That thing was so grotesque I had to go back a few years to determine what it was originally!" Stephen exclaimed.

"So that explains the humble beginnings of the Mystery Crisper," Chuck said. And yet much of the mystery still persists. The monstrosity seemed to replenish itself since he dared sample that witches' brew and nobody has confessed to refilling it.

"Well, I'm certainly glad your friend has developed more conventional tastes. I better get back to work on those new processor designs. Take care of yourself Charles."

"You too dad."

Clicking the phone off, Chuck got a good look at the current time. "An hour? I've been on the phone for an hour?! How'd that happend?" he muttered to himself. Clearly the quick calls had gone on longer than he anticipated. Moving back inside, Chuck noticed that the couch was vacant. A moment of anxiety crossed his mind before he heard the coffee machine turn on. It looked like the siren call of the first cup saved Chuck from seeing what cannot be unseen. Moving into the kitchen, he saw his friends going through their usual morning routine. It seemed odd how quickly things seemed to snap back to normal after the action they'd experienced but considering the double life he'd lived in the past that shouldn't have been such a surprise. For 2 years of his life he seemed to bounce between spy intrigue and the usual 9-5 existence so much that he felt like a giant sized pinball. _Guess life finds a way to balance itself out_, he mused to himself.

While Morgan was pouring himself a bowl of cereal Anna was dumping heaps of sugar into her mug. Chuck came into the kitchen and greeted the couple. "Good morning guys. How's it going?"

Morgan looked up from his cereal, viewing Chuck with sleep heavy eyes. He replied, "Still got a ringing in my ears but that's dying down. Other than the crick in my neck I can't complain."

"Sorry sweetie, I didn't mean to fall asleep on you like that. I guess I was more tired than I thought," Anna said. From the imprint across her cheek Chuck guessed she nested herself atop of Morgan's belt buckle. Not exactly the most comfy of places but she was known to have caught naps in the weirdest of places in the past. "It was weird really. One moment I was too wired to sleep and next thing I know I'm out like a light."

"Can't really blame you Sweet-Tart. We left the hospital around 4:00 and we still had to drive your mom back. I'm surprised you didn't drift off on the way home," Morgan said. "I still can't believe she wouldn't want to stay over. "

Anna shrugged. "I wouldn't worry too much about it baby. She really needs time to herself. Besides, knowing my mom she'd be heading over to the hospital as soon as she woke up." After grabbing a seat beside Morgan, she added, "So here's the plan for today. The doctor said my dad will get x-rayed around 3:00 today, so we'll probably go visit in the morning and then drop by again around 5:00. That leaves us time to do whatever in the meantime."

Chuck shot her an apologetic look before saying, "Listen Anna, I appreciate you playing the good host but if you want to visit your dad I wouldn't want to keep you from that. I can easily kill time around here if need be."

"It's ok Chuck, honest. We talked about it on the ride home last night and we're both ok with this," Morgan stated.

"Yeah, we'd just crowd my dad and he'd just be grumpy from not being able to eat before the x-rays are taken. Besides, I need something to do or I'd just be going nuts over there. I don't know about you but I need something to take my mind off last night."

"Makes sense I guess," Chuck conceded. Some families have a different dynamic than what he was used to with Ellie. If anything happened to her he'd be there in her hospital room until she kicked him out. "To be honest, I'm not up for an action packed day after last night, so how about the beach? I'm usually so busy back home that I rarely get to the chance to go."

"The tourist syndrome you mean?"Morgan asked. A quizzical look for Chuck prompted him to explain, "You know, when you only visit certain places when you're playing tourist that you'd ignore otherwise? You know, that'll be a great idea! We can bust out the wakeboards, sample the local cuisine and even stop by the local arcade and have a skeet ball tournament like old times. But first let's get in some quality Halo time. I can't think of a better way of dealing with almost being blown up. "

"Ahhhh, come on Morgan. If we get there too late there won't be an prime real estate on the beach, " Anna complained as she inched her way to his ear. "And that means I won't be showing off my new bikini until much later. You do remember that small thing I picked up last week, don't you baby?" Anna whispered huskily into Morgan's ear.

"On second thought, let's hit the beach first. I did want to work on my tan," Morgan said all too enthusiastically.

Chuck wasn't sure what Anna whispered but the fact that Morgan's started drooling like a Saint Bernard was all he needed to know. "Right. Well, if the two of the get the need to... go sightseeing by yourselves make sure one of you leave your phone on, "Chuck stated. "I don't mind wandering around for awhile but it would be nice not having to hunt you down later in unfamiliar territory." _Man, that last thing came out too Casey-esque for me, _Chuck thought to himself.

"Sold! Anything else oh great leader? " Morgan joked.

"Oh yeah, make sure you call your mom. I spoke to her earlier when I was calling everyone so she's not freaking out but you ought to call her ASAP, "Chuck said. "And also, Ellie says that she hope your dad's ok Anna. "

"Tell her I say thanks Chuck. I know we're not exactly BFF's but it's sweet of her to say so, "Anna replied. After downing the entire mug, she continued, "Ahh, I needed that! Anyways, I'm gonna shower 'cause I still got sawdust all over me. Be ready in an hour boys and you'll avoid my eternal wraith." And with that the men ran back to their respective rooms. When Anna Wu makes a threat, she stands by it.

0-0

**9:30 AM Hospital Parking Lot**

The raggedly dressed man sat in his hiding spot eying all of the incoming and outgoing cars. From his perch he could easily pick out the driver and any passengers in each vehicle without giving his location away. It was a good thing too since he could have accidently have made a spectacle of himself. Several times he had to look at his notebook to remember where he was. The memories were getting jumbled again and he could no longer rely on his own sense of time to keep them straight. Sometimes he got confused where he was, the signs being in English in added onto that confusion when he expected to read Spanish or German. Other times he looked over to a partner that was no longer there, that would never be there again. He could no longer remember what happened to this partner or even what said partner looked like but he could easily recall the feelings the loss had inflicted on him. That in itself was a sure fire sign that his mind was slowly being lost to this damn thing! He wouldn't know what to do if he couldn't find Carmichael.

Frankly, the whole thing was a shot in the dark. He knew that Carmichael was involved in some nasty business the night before and was hoping that he was in need of medical aid, or at least knew someone who did. The news piece wasn't forthcoming with his alias's name (if Carmichael wasn't the alias) so no other information could be gleamed. Without any other leads to Orion, he had to act while he could. All he could do now was wait and pray.

He was going to give up when a light blue sedan pulled up. The driver was an Asian woman he didn't recognize but her passenger was a different story. It was the bearded man from that report, the one standing beside Carmichael. He was onto something! Panning the binoculars to the back seat he spotted his quarry looking like he didn't have a care in the world. He was tempted to make the grab then and there but instinct took over. There too many cameras around and he didn't have the right tools. But he could get the licence plate number. With a police computer he could get the address of the owner and bug the place later. Get the intel and plan out the abduction so the risks would be minimal. Yes, that's the ticket! After the three disappeared, the man came down from his perch and jotted down the plate. _"Now to make some preparations" _he told himself silently before climbing down from his perch and beating a hasty retreat from the parking lot.

A/N: I hope I got the translation for `Small son` right. Also, I think Chuck went too easy on his absentee parents in the show. In my mind he'd usually try to play nice but once in awhile the anger would sneak up on him during a conversation with them, usually when either parent oversteps certain boundaries. Even with the reasons he had, Stephen's disappearing act was sure to generate feelings of animosity in Chuck and Ellie. And don't even get me started on Mary Bartowski's reason for no-showing in the majority of their lives.


	9. Chapter 9

A/N: I apologize for not getting this done sooner, life and writer's block double teamed me.

Thanks yet again go to good ol' jaytoyz for beta-ing for me once again. The man goes above and beyond helping me out.

**Chapter 9**

The day at the beach had come and gone surprisingly uneventfully. Well, except for the time that Morgan thought he stepped on a jellyfish. Luckily that turned out to be only a plastic bag that had washed up on shore but Chuck could see how he made the mistake. How the bag came to have all of that jam, let alone retain that much during its time in the ocean, was a mystery to all. But even that scare did little to ruin their mood. Being at the beach made Chuck feel like a kid again, free from worries that usually accompanied him and able to just goof off again.

After the beach, the three of them headed over to the hospital to check on Anna's dad and boy was he in a lousy mood. Having to fast all day before taking the x-rays didn't put him in the best of spirits and learning the extent of his injuries didn't help any either. The tally so far included a hairline skull fracture, a couple of cracked ribs from being kicked in the side a few times and his elbow would need screws in it to mend the damage. Those guys had really gone berserk and for the umpteenth time Chuck was stuck between being relieved that Anna missed watching the beating and sad that he was unable to have prevented the attack. He knew it was ridiculous to think he could've done anything to change the outcome but he never liked it when people got hurt. Thankfully, Morgan did his best to try to improve Mr. Wu's mood. Having experienced the horrors of hospital food firsthand, he came prepared with a Subway sandwich for the older man. Besides being an easy way to earn brownie points with Anna's folks, it also went again Morgan's beliefs to inflict something as awful as the generic hospital slop on anyone.

Before they left, Anna got the number to Mr. Montebloom's place from her mom. She was anxious to learn the fate of their new, gun-toting, Texan friend from last night and figured calling the mansion was the best way to get in touch with her. Morgan wholeheartedly agreed that they should give her a call but Chuck was hesitant at first. He didn't want to risk causing more complications for Sarah's cover that their constant interactions might already be causing. In the end he agreed, figuring that it would be more suspicious if they didn't follow up after sharing such a harrowing experience together. The call was brief but to the point. Sarah managed to say thanks for helping out and that she was feeling better as she recovered from the one-two punch of eating bad food and being nicked by buckshot. She still sounded a bit off to Chuck but the fact that she was up and about was good news to him. Before they could manage any small talk, her "husband" cut in and ended the call, claiming that his darling wife needed to rest. Chuck might have been more willing to believe him if he didn't sound as enthusiastic as Ellie had sounded when she'd been offered to watch that Babylon 5 marathon last Christmas.

The next morning the three of them piled into the car on the way to today's fun activity: zip-lining. , Chuck would've taken a pass on such an activity due to his discomfort ("Not fear" as he quickly pointed out) around heights. Thanks to the amount of time spent on missions being dangled off buildings and doing other sorts of death defying acts in midair, Chuck had actually become used to being so far off the ground instead of becoming traumatized like he originally thought. So, in the interest of trying new things, he readily agreed to Morgan's idea of sliding down a rope at 100 miles an hour instead of wussing out.

Chuck was enjoying the scenery from the back seat when he overheard Anna quietly ask Morgan, "Honeybunch, you remember when we last filled up? "

"I think it was three days ago Banana Rama. Why'd you ask?" Morgan replied.

A confused look crossed her face for a moment as she tried to recall their recent travels. They didn't drive that much the last few days, did they? "We're almost out of gas, that's why. But I could have sworn we had at least half a tank left last night. Guess we're making a pit stop before stopping in on dad again. "

Morgan, seeing the opportunity to get his sugar fix, perked up. "Oh perfect! We could grab some travel essentials from the gas station while we fill up."

Anna's ears perked up when she considered this. "Good thinking baby. We could grab some Coke and Mentos in case we get bored later and want to terrorize jerky tourists." Turning back to face Chuck, Anna asked, "Hey Chuck, you want anything while we're making the stop? Our treat."

Chuck thought for a moment. Such offers come but once a millennium. "Hmmm... Grab me Dr. Pepper and some Doritos for later. It's probably a good idea to grab some water bottles as well, you know just in case they don't have a water fountain over there."

"Being practical again Chuck? I thought we broke you of that habit years ago," Morgan joked.

"What can I say, Sarah's practicality must have rubbed off on me," Chuck replied.

"Must of been during the wedding reception, " Anna said mischievously. "Up high Morgie!" And of course Morgan went for the high five.

"I had that coming, "came Chuck's reply. "Oh look, we're at the gas station. Well, tell you what, I'll gas the car up while you two stock up on the essentials. Sound good?"

With no objections, the three of them pilled out of the car. Morgan and Anna racing each other to the store while Chuck grabbed the hose and began to search for the fuel door. After a couple of tries, Chuck managed to get the gas cap off and started to pump the gas. While he waited, he took the opportunity to look around, the local fauna helping him enjoy his environs. Unlike the more touristy areas, this was one was less populated and much greener, which suited Chuck just fine. It was good to sometimes have a bit of peace and quiet, just to break up the hectic pace that he'd become accustomed to in the past few years. Chuck was enjoying that wonderful morning breeze that brought the scent of some island flower while pushing away the petrol fumes when he was startled by a loud cough. Spinning around, he caught sight of a nasty smelling hobo. He could tell the man was homeless from the long ragged clothes the man wore and the long, unkempt beard that seem to jut out in all directions. The clothes he wore seemed really out of place in the tropics, looking to be more at home on a ski slope than a Hawaiian Island. The ragged man wore a stained pea-coat that was all buttoned up and a scarf wrapped around his head like a mummy. To complete the crazy alpine skier look, he wore mittens and a long brimmed hat that Chuck couldn't identify. 'The poor guy must be crazy', Chuck silently said to himself.

The man was moving towards Chuck when he suddenly paused and gripped his chest. A wheezing sound managed to escape from the beard and he collapsed to the ground. In a flash, Chuck was at the man's side. He'd never had someone have a heart attack right in front of him before but he was determined to help as much as possible. Remembering his first aid training, he first checked to see that the man was breathing and thankfully he was. Chuck was still unsure about applying CPR to an actual living person and he imagined that it would be like applying it to a hairball. Next, was to put the person into the recover position, which Chuck did by tucking the man's left hand under his head and rolling him onto his side after making sure his airways weren't blocked. Once the man was in no danger of choking on his own puke, Chuck pulled his phone out to call 911. He was unlocking the phone when excruciating pain hit him and he found he couldn't move! As his body hit the ground, he saw the man clutching something that looked like an electric shaver. As he lay there, he realized that the supposed heart attack victim had just gotten him with a taser. Chuck fought to get up, watching helplessly as the man stood up and moving with surprising dexterity, emptied a bottle onto a rag. Watching with growing worry as he hopelessly willed his muscles to relax, the rag was soon covering his nose and mouth and everything went black.

0-0

"Perfect, all so perfect," the ragged man muttered to himself as he dragged the unconscious Charles Carmichael back to his companion's car. From his notes he had compiled on the man, he'd deduced that Carmichael was a Good Samaritan and that had proven to be true. He was surprised that the great Charles Carmichael had even given him the time of day but he quickly admonished himself for that train of thought. Being a spy didn't make one a mindless machine, no matter what the higher ups thought. Opening the passenger side, he lifted the unconscious man up and attempted to put him in the backseat. Unfortunately, the mittens he wore didn't let him get a good grip and Carmichael slide from his grasp. He didn't make a sound but he was sure to have a headache when he awoke. Cursing to himself in Dutch, the man reluctantly ripped the mitts off and pulled him into the car. Things were certainly looking up for him, for not only did nobody seem to notice the incident but also the Asian lady had left car keys in the ignition. What a stroke of luck! That will certainly save time he would have spent hotwiring the vehicle.

"Hey, what are you doing in my car?!"

Startled by the sudden cry, the man slammed the door shut. Spinning around to locate the source of the outrage, the he saw Carmichael's companions beginning to move towards his postion. Thankfully their arms were full of their purchases, leaving them too encumbered to pull a weapon. Taking advantage of the confusion, he stepped forward as his hand snuck inside his jacket. Too late did he realize that the scarf was caught in the door as it fell away from his face. The damage was already done, he was exposed to the harsh world for all to see, but he still had a job to do. He needed to reassert control over the situation before things got complicated (oh how he's come to hate that word). The Asian woman had put her bags down and started towards him when his piece finally came free. As if a switch was flicked, she came to an immediate halt. "Get back in the store!" he bellowed as he brandished his sidearm. Realising that they couldn't help Carmichael the two backed into the confines of the store, much to the delight of the man. He was grateful that they listened to reason and things didn't have to get messy. Without wasting another second he slide into the driver's seat and sped off.

After driving for almost twenty minutes, he turned onto a side street and then pulled around to the back of the abandoned store where he had parked the SUV he would be using for the op. There was no way he'd be stupid enough to use the stolen car later on. The Latino man would have contacted the police by now and they would be on the lookout for the sedan. He would have to move fast if he wanted to avoid anyone linking him to the now stolen car. After dragging Carmichael out of the car and into the SUV's backseat, he pulled out a blanket to partially cover him. If a cop came close he'd just think his friend was asleep in the back. Once Carmichael was secured, the man yanked out his notebook and re-read his plan. If he reminded himself what he needed to do every so often, it helped keep his mind on task. Put it off and his mind would wonder and confusion would set in. "Let's see... ah yes, play dress up," he murmured to himself. Just like he did with his big sister when they were young... or was that a story he heard years ago? "Forget that, focus!" he muttered to himself.

Once his mind was back on task, he set to work changing his appearance. He stripped down to his underwear and the jacket, hat, scarf, heavy pants and boots went into the nearby dumpster. He pulled out a bland looking shirt and shorts, followed by a pair of sandals and put them on. Got to blend in after all, not stand out. Looking at the cheap watch he picked up earlier, the entire process had taken about 8 minutes. Not good, too much time had passed! He'd have to finish the prep work later! After making sure the coast was clear, he got into the SUV and drove off. He'll have to finish up once he was clear of the stolen vehicle.

0-0

The SUV pulled over to the side of the road just a few miles from the facility. He'd noticed earlier that Carmichael was starting to come to and gave him a mild sedative to buy him more time. Once he made sure his quarry wasn't going anywhere he'd gotten to work on the cover story. First, he trimmed his beard so he wouldn't be so memorable. Next, he took out a bottle of ketchup and proceeded to smear it all over himself followed by Carmichael's head and shirt. Both men didn't wear white so from afar it would appear similar to blood. Next, he wrapped a blue towel around Carmichael's head as snuggly as possible before adding more ketchup on top of it. It covered most of the face so hopefully his audience wouldn't be able to tell that he was uninjured. Satisfied with his work, the man pulled Carmichael out of the vehicle and slung his arm over his shoulder. From here they'd proceed on foot.

It took longer than he had originally anticipated as he forgot to factor Carmichael's weight in gauging his progress, but finally his destination was in sight. Unlike the other facilities he infiltrated this one had minimal security on the outside due to the decision to make it appear unremarkable, so the security tech was obviously cheaper. This meant there were no sensors to avoid and Close Circuit cameras that didn't record what was going on. The good stuff was installed further inside so this first part would be a cakewalk. Heading up to the guard booth the man lingered in front of a camera in hopes of drawing out the guard. The two of them stood there for 5 minutes but got no reaction. "Figures, "the man muttered to himself. "The guy's probably playing on his Game Boy instead of manning his station." Moving over to the booth's door, he kicked the door as hard as possible to get the guard's attention. A moment later, a buzzing sound was heard and the electric lock on the door unlocked. A tired looking guard came out and was immediately shocked by the sight he saw. It looked like the men had been attacked by something, but Hawaii didn't have lions, tigers or bears around.

"Mister, you got to help me!" the bearded man cried. "My friend's losing a lot of blood and I don't know what to do!"

"Holy crap, come in!" The guard exclaimed, tossing protocol aside. He knew nobody else was supposed to be in there, but this was an emergency. "Let's get your friend in here and I'll see what we can do."

"Oh, thank you. Thank you so much!" The operative said before dragging the still unconscious Chuck inside and dropping him into the closest chair.

After making sure the two bloodied men were comfortable, the guard turned to look for the first aid kit. "I hope your friend is going to be okay, " he called over his shoulder. "Now where did the last shift put the damn thing?" he asked himself. "I'm surprised you managed to make it all the way over here on your own. The weather's getting hotter by the day and it couldn't have been a picnic for you to get here. Maybe it'll be best if you called 911 in case your friend needs a hospital. Come to think of it, why didn't you call from the get go? I'm sure it would have been ...", the surprisingly talkative guard didn't get a chance to finish before something heavy came down on the back of his neck.

As the guard hit the ground, Chuck's kidnapper stuffed the sock full of quarters back in his pants. It wasn't the most elegant of weapons but it was easy to rig up and could pack a surprising wallop if used correctly. Grabbing the guard under the armpits, he moved the still breathing body to the nearby closet and proceeded to strip the uniform off him. With his new change of clothes and the security card, he shouldn't have any trouble gaining access to the building and ultimately the Omaha facilities. Of course, he'd need to make some detours, such as switching the guard uniform for a janitor's, in order to get there, but he could be patient. Rushing this would be disastrous. "Time to get started," he said to himself before looking for a way to cart his cargo around.

0-0

Chuck woke up in the dark. For a moment he'd feared that whatever had happened to him had blinded him as well but the faint light coming from the crack of the door quickly dispelled that notion. A faint man-shaped shadow came towards him with what Chuck believed to be a gun in its hand. Not wasting any time, the shadow grabbed him by the hair and shoved the gun in his face. "Listen here Carmichael; I don't have time to play nice. What I need from you won't be much. I need you to contact Orion ASAP and give him a message."

Chuck had a panicked thought. If this guy linked him to the legendary (and mostly non-existing) Charles Carmichael then he, his family and his friends could be in a whole heap of trouble. He'd have to convince him he wasn't Carmichael. "Hey, uhh, listen, " he started. "I think you got the wrong guy. I know, I got one of those faces, you know the ones that get mistaken for other people's but I'm being totally honest with you. I'm not this Carmichael guy. My name's ..."

"Your name is not important. I know you've used the Carmichael identity before, because the intel they shoved up here told me so," The man said as he pointed to his head. "That's right, I'm one of those id... err ig... damn it what was that word?! Iguana? Idaho?! Damn it I'm losing myself again!" he cried as he smacked himself in the head. Chuck's probably deranged captor disappeared for a moment into a corner of the room. With attention taken away from him, Chuck tried to move around and explore the area. He found that his right hand was handcuffed to something so the investigation took only a matter of seconds but he did bump into a desk. He could tell from a lifetime of experience of bumping into them in the dark, while sober, tired and once or two drunk during his college days. It was a bit of a stretch but he pretty sure that he was in an office of some kind.

Chuck heard the man's footsteps coming back towards him and quickly resumed his position, resting against the wall. His kidnapper seemed to have composed himself and continued on, " Listen to me, I don't have much time. I'm one of the people that signed up for the Omaha program and I need it out of my head. I know that you're the Carmichael operative that interacted with the Alpha candidate, and that means you know Orion. I need you to contact Orion and tell him 'Badger is stuck in the pantry'. Use those exact words, no deviations."

This was a major shock to Chuck. He knew that the Intersect project was going ahead but he'd assumed that the uploading of data into human hosts had been scrapped. If they did continue with it, that would explain his kidnapper's behaviour. Those people back in Sunny Meadow had been uploaded with the Intersect and it basically destroyed their minds if it didn't outright kill them. If they did survive, they were reduced to mindless husks that couldn't even react to light or sound. The footage of these atrocities had been uploaded to his brain along with FULCRUM's other dirty little secrets and to this day they still gave him nightmares. If this man had been hit with something similar he knew that there might be a big chance that the man before him might not be in his right mind and actually needed help. For both of their sakes, Chuck decided to play along. "Ok, I'll help you but I'll need a phone to contact Orion. I dropped mine when you attacked me."

The man didn't expect this. "Just like that, you'd help me? What's your game? Is this one an agency tricks"

"No tricks here. I've ... been out of the spy stuff for awhile and I wasn't even aware that they'd continued with Omaha. Personally, it makes me sick. If you know what you claim to know, you'd know about my experience in Sunny Meadow." At the mention of the FULCRUM owned suburb, the man's head shook for a moment. He couldn't see his face but Chuck was sure the mention of that horrible place triggered a flash in the man.

"Merda. All of those people... Ok, I'll trust you with this." He said as he shoved a phone into Chuck's hand. "I don't know how much time I have left anyways. I still need to gain access to the imagining room and my head's feeling whirly more often. Contact Orion and tell him the code. That should help save time convincing him about your situation. And no tricks or I will be angry." With that, the man exited the dark room. From the light of the hallway, Chuck could see that his kidnapper was wearing some kind of jumpsuit, like the kind mechanics and janitors wore, and a cap pulled down over his face.

Once he was gone, Chuck frantically dialed in the emergency number his father had made him memorize months ago. He may be Intersect free but his father was still worried that someone might use Chuck to get to him. After the third ring, Chuck heard the familiar synthesized voice that Orion had used a year ago.

"Charles, what happened? Does this involve that incident a couple of days ago?" his father asked, the digitized voice not entirely masking the concern.

"I can't talk long," Chuck said abruptly. "I've been kidnapped by a crazy guy and he might be back at any moment. Get this: he claims that he's an Intersect and he knows you, or at least heard of you. He told me to tell you 'Badger is stuck in the pantry'. I hope this means something to you, 'cause he seems pretty desperate right now."

The line went silent for a moment before his father answered in that deep sounding synthesized voice. "Charles that was a distress message from an Interest candidate. I have briefed several, each with their own distinct message in case something went wrong with the Intersect. In this case, it's probably best if you could convince him to turn himself in so we can treat whatever went wrong."

Fat chance of that, Chuck thought to himself. "I don't think he's going to be willing to do that, you know with the whole tazering me and dragging me off to lord knows where."

"Give me a moment to triangulate your position. You're using a regular cell phone so that shouldn't be a problem." A moment passed and Orion spoke again, this time in a tone Chuck imagined to sound more panicked. "Charles, I need you to hang up immediately. You're in a dangerous place right now and it's imperative that you try to avoid antagonizing your capturer. I've alerted the proper authorities and I need you to sit tight." And before Chuck could get a word in the line went dead.

"_Great, now what do I do?"_ Chuck thought to himself. At that moment, he got an idea. First, he sent a text message to his phone. If the cops had it then it might bring help much sooner. Next, he decided to get out of this office as quickly as possible. His father said to sit tight but there was no way of telling what Badger (as he found himself calling his kidnapper) might do once he found out Orion would only help if he gave himself up. He started on his escape route by feeling around for anything that might help him get out of the handcuffs. His probing found a desk drawer and he opened it as quietly as he could manage. Fighting back his apprehension about going through someone else's property, Chuck stuck his hand in and continued his search.

Ah hah! He lucked out and found a box full of paper clips. Taking one out, he straightened the clip out and attempted to pick the lock. Chuck was certainly glad that his special lady was multi-talented and a patient teacher. 'Even when you're not here, you're still getting me out of a bind, Sarah,' he thought to himself with a smile. The work took longer than he imagined it would for real spy, even using their weaker hand, but eventually he heard the lock click open. After removing the handcuff, he rubbed his right wrist and headed towards the door, stopping before he headed out, realizing he needed to figure out what to do. Technically he was trespassing in this building but he figured that if he went to security they'd protect him from that lunatic and they can verify his story with the cops later. He didn't know how long he'd been out but Morgan would have called them after he was missing from the car and left his phone on the ground. Chuck would never have been so careless with his expensive iPhone as to let it slip out of his pocket.

As he walked down the corridor of the place, Chuck realized that this was no regular office. He had been walking for awhile but hadn't encountered a soul. Besides the unusual lack of people around, what tipped him off was the fact that the floors and walls were just too sterile and too bland for your run of the mill workplace. No posters, plaques or signs were on the walls, just your government standard white paint. _"Wait, am I in a government building?" _he wondered to himself. Before he could continue his line of thought, a rapid succession of gunshots was heard. "Oh crap!" he muttered to himself as he hurried into the first door.

What he encountered inside shocked him. He had seen such a place before, both in person and in blueprints. He was inside an Intersect imaging room. Sitting in the middle of the room was a table that held a workstation that Chuck surmised controlled the mechanism. Hooked up to it was an ordinary external hard drive that looked out of place in this too clean area covered in monitors. Chuck ducked behind it in case anyone came looking in here. He wasn't sure if it was security, Badger or maybe even whoever was shooting up the place but he thought it best to get out of sight ASAP. Intersect facilities could attract all sorts of attention after all.

While ducking behind the desk, his eyes kept darting from the door to the workstation's monitor. He knew the door should be his primary concern but the nerd in him couldn't resist looking at the screen. He noticed that a program was being loaded, probably Badger's doing. At first he thought the man was stealing data but a closer look revealed that he was uploading something instead. Did he think his dad could whip up something that would instantly make him better? Chuck wasn't sure, but decided to file that away for later, when he could mull over things without having to worry about being made into Swiss cheese.

Chuck sat there waiting for awhile, hoping help would arrive. He thought it best to wait for the police or whoever to come so that he could avoid being shot. His vigilance was rewarded when a man in a lab coat burst into the room and slammed the door shut. He looked scared and disheveled but didn't seem to notice Chuck before he ducked down. Right away Chuck heard the door slam open and a shot rang out. The scientist hit the ground near the desk with a grunt, just a few feet away from Chuck's position. He wasn't sure why the man had been shot but, to Chuck's relief, at least he was still breathing.

"Trying to run, eh egghead?" a woman's voice called from just outside the door. "Now you're just trying to piss me off!" Chuck peered around the corner of the desk, seeing a stocky woman all dressed in black and carrying a pistol, enter the room. Chuck noted the silencer on the pistol and concluded that she was definitely not one of the good guys. "And you were trying to take the data too. How convenient," the woman continued as she yanked the cord out of the workstation. As she moved to face the monitor, Chuck circled around the desk. Looking at the screen, the woman said, "Oh shoot, it wasn't done. All well, I'll have to fix that after I'm done with you."

"She's going to shoot him!" Chuck thought to himself. "I got to stop her!" As the woman in black started to raise her pistol, Chuck hit her from behind. Her head bounced off the screen as her gun went off harmlessly into the nearby wall. Chuck tried in earnest to pull the gun from her grip but the woman held on to it like it was a lifeline in a storm. As the two wrestled over the gun, they ended up rolling over the keyboard. And then with no warning, the room's monitors flared to life. Millions upon millions of images broadcast from them, seeming to burn themselves into Chuck's mind. The flood of images was so great that he found himself unable to move, not even to shut his eyes to stop the stream of data. Somewhere in the back of his mind he noticed that the woman too had stopped struggling as well. A familiar feeling of having a head too full come over him and he started to go weak at the knees. Before he blacked out, only one thought flashed through his head: _"Oh no, not again."_

A/N: Merda is a Portuguese curse word whose meaning I don't want to repeat in polite company.

As always, reviews are always welcome.


	10. Chapter 10

A/N: Sorry that this took forever to come out. Real life and writer's block teamed up to kick my ass. Thanks to those that favored this story and left reviews.

Chapter 10

Chuck was woken up to the sounds of klaxons wailing. For a moment he was confused, unsure where he was, how he got there and why somebody left a heavy duffle bag on top of him. For a moment he thought Anna decided to dump her laundry on top of him until memories of his kidnapping came back to him. He was in some unnamed government facility and he was fighting with some scary looking lady and... the rest was hazy. He was wondering how badly she clocked him when he looked down.

"Ahh!" he cried out as he realized that it was the woman with the gun laid on top of him. Faster than a speeding bullet, he managed to squirm from under her weight and crab-walked a few steps away. Chuck watched her for a moment, waiting for a reaction to the sudden movement. Nothing. Moving closer, he realized the woman wasn't moving. Chuck gathered his courage and checked her pulse to see if she was alive. Again, nothing. Whoever she was, she was dead now. As he rolled the woman onto her back, Chuck caught a glimpse of her face and was instantly hit with a familiar disorienting feeling. A flash! So he was uploaded with the accursed Intersect once more. But it was different this time.

Unlike in the past, where the information had been dumped into his conscious mind all at once, this time it was just a trickle. However, he was fully aware of the actual data, could perceive the individual words in the report instead of the hogpog of data he was used to being dumped into his brain. He could picture in his mind a report with a picture of the still woman at his feet and the alias "Jamie Sunderland" displayed in bold near the top. There wasn't much information available except for her being a former employee of the generically named Brant Waste Management Co. Chuck wondered for why the CIA was so keen on the place when the next Flash hit him. Just like that additional reports appeared in his mind's eye on the organization. There was a lot more information in these reports but one word stood out for Chuck: FULCRUM. The woman lying at his feet was a spy or something equally nasty for the dismantled rogue agency. And that meant...

"Wait, did I just cause myself to flash?" Chuck wondered out loud. He was so used to the process being triggered by pictures that the fact shocked him. Well, he'll have to figure that out later when he didn't have to worry about being shot, at least from whoever was working with the late Ms. Sunderland. Shaking himself from the odd interlude, Chuck continued his task of arranging the woman's body into a more dignified position. Once that was done, he headed over to the scientist that got shot. The man let out a groan and rolled onto his side before letting out a whimper. His wounded leg had banged into the table and blood was seeping out.

"Don't move!" Chuck hissed at the man. Realizing how harsh that sounded, he added, "Sorry that came out a little mean. It's just that you got shot and it's probably best not to agitate it more."

"Oh, that sounds very practical. Never been shot before, sounds like a real nasty business, "the mousey looking scientist mentioned to him. "Good thing I wasn't awake when that happened eh?"

"Hmmm... this guy is taking this all too well, like he lost a quarter in the couch, " Chuck thought to himself again. It was getting to be a habit with him. Chuck peered at the balding man's face and noticed the faraway look in his eyes. Dang, it looks like he was concussed on top of being shot.

"I'm happy to say that I haven't had the pleasure," Chuck quipped.

Chuck feel silent afterwards, as he focused on using what little medical knowledge he had to treat. Taking off his shirt, Chuck wrapped it around the man's leg as a makeshift tourniquet. Once he was done he turned to the dazed scientist and told him that they'd have to get out of there. If they could stumble onto the room then it stood to reason that the woman's partners could too. With his luck Chuck was certain they'd most definitely find them there. "Now where should they go?" Chuck thought to himself. Looking down at his patient, he could see that the man wasn't in the best of conditions. With the way he was bleeding there was no way Chuck's shirt would work for long as a bandage. Looks like they'd need to swing by the infirmary first, and Chuck couldn't think of anywhere better to hole up for awhile.

"Hey, you know where we can find the infirmary in the place?" Chuck asked.

"Let me think. A yes, you make a left at the intersection, then a right. Or was that another left? I seem to have some trouble recalling things right now. Who are you again?"

Chuck blurted out, "I'm Inspector Threepwood. I'm... I'm the flooring inspector the higher-ups sent over. " Truly an iron clad cover story, if he said so himself. "Listen, try not to think too hard. I think you hit your head earlier."

"Where are my manners? I'm Dr. Emmerich good sir. And I must say that I doubt that'll be a problem young man. I couldn't hold onto a thought with a pair of thongs."

Mmmh... that can't be good. If he could confuse the word "tongs" with "thongs", there's no way he'd remember where anything was with any accuracy. If only he could find a map to this place or at least a sign to get his bearings. The government facilities he'd interned in during his Stanford years had signs all around and if he was lucky the island location had some to... The thought was cut off as Chuck yelped, "Ack!"

The thought was cut off when another Flash came over him. Suddenly his mind was filled with the blue-prints and maps for this place, which was originally a meteorological survey station. His mind quickly took all of the various blue prints and notes on the place and immediately produced a workable map for him to use. And that was crazy in itself. Instead of just merely retrieving data, he compiled it into something new and useful. Just like a computer... Well he'd have to mull it over later. At least he knew where to go. "Better than Google Maps!" chuck thought out loud.

"Pardon moi?" groused Dr. Emmerich.

"Nothing, just remembered where it was. Just slipped my mind before," He quickly added before dragging the both of them towards the infirmary. No need to worry the man with the fact that an untold quantity of data got dumped in his head and was doing the weirdest of things up there.

Sarah stretched and allowed herself a satisfied grunt as her back made that cracking sound reminder her of walnuts for some reason. Shaw had finally come to take over and for once Sarah was thrilled to see his bland mug. And he even remembered to bring his cover wife a meal this time! He'd forgotten (or at least she hoped he'd forgotten) to get lunch and her stomach had been doing its best angry Casey impersonation all afternoon. Oh, she had planned to give him an earful about this all afternoon but as soon as the smell of the fresh pasta hit her senses her hunger won out over her indignation. At least that bonehead chef couldn't have messed up spaghetti, especially when the sauce obviously came from a can.

She'd wolfed down the entire bowl in less than a minute and had even licked the bowl clean before the 57 second mark. Sarah allowed herself a small smile as she imagined what Ellie's reaction would be if she could see her now. Just the look of unadulterated shock on the well mannered doctor's face would have been priceless to see if she was present for Sarah breaking Morgan's record for speed eating.

Now came the hard part: killing time. Sarah had sat the whole day out and was ready to go crazy with cabin fever. Sadly, she couldn't risk leaving the room without contradicting her alibi and she had already read over the reports to the point of memorization. She couldn't even do calisthenics without disrupting Shaw's monitoring and she certainly wasn't in the mood for one of Shaw's tiresome lectures. As she looked over the room, her eyes settled on the forgotten laptop she'd lugged over in the plane. It didn't have any of the surveillance software installed but it did have the usual computer programs on top of the standard security protocols. And as luck would have it, that set of programs included a web browser.

That website with the videos of the cats that Chuck showed her one time would be perfect for a time like this. What was it called... oh yes "Youtube". It was crazy how these websites seem to come out of the woodworks while she was away on missions. She entered in the address as she plugged in a pair of earbuds. Within a moment the website's main page had loaded up and she was greeted to a listing of various videos. She was about to type in "cats" when an image caught her eye. It was a picture of those two perverts Chuck used to work with at the Buymore and it had the unfortunate title "Jeffster does Kayne" on top. Clearly that wasn't an accident...

In a moment of temporary insanity, Sarah clicked on the video and was bombarded by the duo's version of a song she half remembered from the radio. It was simply dreadful and yet... and yet she couldn't tear her eyes from the screen. It was like watching a car crash into a lamppost: disgusting yet appealing to the darker curiosities in her soul. Her eyes caught the number the ridiculously high number of people that had watched this very same video and shook her head as she spied the number of "Likes" right beside it. At this rate Curry Breath and Ultra B.O. would go viral and there was nothing the C.D.C. could do against a plague like those two.

"Walker, we got movement!" Shaw curtly called back to her. Removing the earbuds, she slipped into the chair beside him and slipped the offered pair of headphones on her head. Two men were on the screen, one of them Montebloom and the other a man Sarah had never seen before.

"Care for a drink Mr. Anderson?" Montebloom asked his guest.

"Very kind of you Dom. A Coke would do nicely if you got one handy," Anderson replied with a vaguely English accent. Sarah mentally let out a breath of relief as she heard the man's voice. Whoever he was he certainly wasn't Bryce and thus wasn't her concern. With the flick of a wrist, Montebloom opened a previously unseen refrigerator and pulled a bottle out. Out of the corner of her eye Sarah could see the beginning of a frown on Shaw's face. The fridge door was designed to look exactly like a section of the wall and had done a perfect job of evading Shaw's notice. She turned her attention back to the screen as Mr. Anderson had taken his first drink.

"Just what the doctor ordered," he quip as he set his bottle down. "So, how's it going with that redhead you've been eying these past couple of weeks? You manage to sweet talk that fine piece into the sack yet?"

"I prefer if we could stick to business my friend," Montebloom reponded in a manner that tried to convey friendly nice and failed spectacularly. The frustration in his voice came through as clear as day to Sarah's ears.

"Probably for the best Dom. Any bird willing to dump that much hair dye all over herself probably isn't all up there if you catch my drift." Taking another pull from the bottle, Anderson looked in the direction of the window. "So, have the arrangements been made yet?"

"Yes, my men have taken care of the arrangements and they assure me that your shipment will be arriving in a day's time. I do admit that it's rather unusual to go through such lengths for such... trivial cargo when more conventional means exist."

"Oh, if only it was that easy. You know how big a bunch of sticklers the port authorities are here with the rules and you know how I hate wasted effort. Why should my employers have to expend the funds and time to haul the entire product to Florida and THEN send it here when they can just cut out the middle man and send it directly from China?"

"I understand your frustration with those archaic rules but you have to admit that we are going to such extreme lengths over a simple shipment of shirts," Montebloom brought up.

Anderson regarded his host with a look of patience before continuing. "Ah Dom, this isn't a load of rags the Yanks sell in those gaudy stores, these are top of the line Footie jerseys. With FIFA coming up and the tourist season in full force, there's something in the air in these fair islands." He paused for a moment as he sniffed the air. "And do you know that this? Money. Dollars and Euros and Pounds all migrating to the islands just waiting to be spent, and my employers got the ideal product for them. If we play nice with the boys in suit that money will have gone to parts unknown, leaving us in the ditch. And that Dominic is where you come in. Let's just say that if you scratch our back will most certainly scratch yours when the time comes."

"I never did understand this obsession for foot-ball, but I can appreciate the fervor that accompanies it." After pausing for a moment, Montebloom continued. "Very well, you shall hear no questions on the issue."

Standing up, Montebloom gestured to Anderson to do the same. "Now if that is all for business would you care to view the grounds? I fear that the air in here is still dusty after the ... renovations and it would be best if we get a breath of fresh air."

Anderson got to his feet and replied, "It'll be a pleasure Dom. I haven't seen your award winning cacti in a quiet sometime..." The rest of the conversation faded out as the two moved out of the bug's range. Shaw shook his head and turned to Sarah. "Do you buy that garbage about the jerseys Walker?"

"Not for a second. " For once she was agreeing with Shaw and the thought made her skin crawl. "It's probably narcotics from the sounds of things."

"I agree. I will personally alert the higher ups about this development. This is the Bureau's problem now. It is a shame that the Anderson lead was a dead end though but it probably was for the best."

"Why's that?" Sarah found herself asking Shaw. For all of his faults he wasn't the type that turned away from a job.

"Let us just say that your past relationship with rogue Agent Larkin was not as discreet as you would like to believe," Shaw said with a haughty airs. Sarah cursed silently to herself. The office drones were worse than the sewing circles her mother used to drag her to when it came to gossip. Shaw continued, "Needless to say, the personal attachment you have with Larkin, even as exhausted as it the reports lead me to believe, would be a hindrance when it came time to apprehend him. Hopefully the team that does find Larkin in the future won't have your handicap."

Just one more day, Sarah told herself. If you can avoid sticking that boor Shaw for one more day you can head back to L.A. and get your 2.5 years worth of smooches Chuck owes you. "Fair enough Special Agent Shaw," Sarah replied with mostly concealed disdain. "At least you won't have to deal with my 'handicaps' after today." Shaw however was not paying attention to her, already focusing on setting up a connection to HQ. Again Sarah wondered to herself how someone so blind to social niceties could be so accomplished as a field agent. Well, enough of Agent Bland, time to start packing up. Sarah was in the middle of pulling her suitcase out when Shaw spun around to face her.

"Bad news Walker," Shaw said levelly. "We got an alert: Blackwatch Plaid." Sarah was puzzled for a moment, until she remembered her refresher training. That was one of the newer protocols. When it was issued, any agents in the immediate area had to report to the closest CIA substation as soon as possible without compromising themselves. This one was reserved for only used in the most catastrophic of situations.

"Hmmm... I know there's an Orange Organge being used as a front in Honolulu but I'm not sure if there's a closer location, "Sarah added. The CIA favored that franchise for fronts since they always had food deliveries to the locations (perfect for concealing equipment transportation) and even the least domesticated agents could manage to make frozen yogurt. At least it wasn't another Weinerlicious. The smell of burnt corndogs still gave her the cold sweats.

"There is another location in the region, right on this Island actually. The front is of a pineapple processing plant. It is more obscure than some of the other ones but it is well stocked."

For reason the news of their rendezvous point made her stomach churn, but for the life of her she couldn't figure out why. "Right... It's about time you took your wife to see the sights Mr. Taylor. Being cooped up in here must be driving her nuts."

A look Sarah couldn't decipher spread across Shaw's face before his default bored look returned. "Good plan Walker. Mr. Montebloom wouldn't be suspicious if we head into head. The agency left a car for us in the area so transportation should not be a problem. Be ready in 10 minutes."

As Shaw trooped out of the room, Sarah retrieved her throwing knives and secured them to her customary hiding spots. Something in the message had spooked Shaw and that never was a good sign.

A/N: Guest Starring Ben Browden as Ryan Anderson. I know he had a bit role in season 5 but this is completely unrelated to that. The man that brought John Criton to life deserved a better role than generic goon #531 damn it!

As you probably noticed, the Intersect 2.0 works differently than it did season 3 and onwards. I went with this approach since I thought that it was more of a natural progression for the software to allow conscious (and more complete) retrieval of important data. Being able to not only upload skills into somebody but also the muscle memory to become an instant master of said skills seemed like too much of a jump to me, especially considering how much the research teams were struggling to figure the encoding process during the first 2 seasons.


	11. Chapter 11

A/N: I apologize for the long time since last chapter. Writer's block hits the worst times.

Chapter 11

John Casey was not a happy man. And this wasn't the usual case of annoyance he carried around with himself every day. No, this was him on the edge of rage, the bad kind where he wanted to, but couldn't, unload a clip into the nearest bullet sponge. His quarry had acted faster than the eggheads had predicted and now he was stuck taking care of the cleanup, all by himself. With the nearest cleanup crew in another state he'd have to rely on the cops. He could feel the Bartwoski standard headache coming on already.

To be fair, the uniforms were more competent than the half-wits he was used to dealing with in California. They'd had properly closed off all of the roads going past the facility and had even put a couple of uniforms on the trail that came close. He knew because he spotted them when he attempted to stealthfully gain access to the grounds. Casey loathed the idea of assaulting men who were doing their duty of upholding the law, so he had opted to take the more conventional route instead and rendezvoused with the police. General Beckman came through for him and he was accepted into the situation without question. His cover was of a consultant of DARPA on his way to the facility when the situation occurred.

Casey mentally took stock of the situation as he was brought over to the Chief of Police and the problems seem to be mounting. First of all, there was the issue of how much the cops had seen before he was able to get there. The officers on the scene had been blocked out by the advanced security and the illusion of this being another weather monitoring facility had been shattered. Also, the hostiles had managed to neutralize the security force put into place there, leaving him with just the uniformed men who most likely never fired a round outside of a firing range. Even worst was the fact that it was a kidnapping that had drawn the cops to the area. The cops were tight lipped about the specifics (typical territorial crap) but a lady cop mentioned that a text message had been sent to the victim's phone while it was in their possession and the triangulation took them here. Best case scenario, the kidnapper was some loony looking to hide out. Worst case scenario (the usual one in his line of field) the kidnapper knew about the true nature of the facility and had grabbed a member of the research team to gain access. There were too many possibilities and no time to follow up on any.

And finally there was problem number four: the Police Chief Payton. Now, the man was no idiot but that only meant that Casey couldn't intimidate him the same way he could those west coast morons. For one thing, he actually had heard of the NSA and was fully aware that legally Casey held absolutely 0% authority on the situation. Thankfully, the man turned a blind eye to Casey's attempts to take command and had decided to keep in him in the loop.

"Look Colonel, I can't prove anything, nor do I want to, but we both know that there's something top secret happening in that building. Let's just skip the "need to know" garbage and tell me the bare bones of it. Is there anything in there that might endanger the public?"

Like everything else in life, Casey responded to Payton's straightforwardness with one of his grunts. "_Shocked yet pleased, definitely a rare one_!" a voice that annoyingly sounded like Bartwoski's chimed in. For once that cop curiosity in check and Casey was grateful for that. "There's no nuclear material kept there in case you were wondering and there's no biological or chemical agents involved either. I can confirm that the activity in the building requires high level security but what actually was involved is classified."

Payton sighed in relief. "Thank heavens for small favors. There'd be no way we could contain a nuclear spill out here."

"And of course the members of your team are going to have to keep whatever they see in there confidential. If one of your men so much as breathe a word about what they see in there they'd be hit with treason faster than they can count to 3." Casey inwardly groaned when he considered the fact that confidentiality forms would be the only way to keep their silence. The intelligence agencies have been walking on egg shells lately, and they couldn't afford another incident like the one with Forrest. Playing nice was never his strong suit but he recognized the need for a light touch every now and then, if nothing else but to avoid giving the General more grief.

"I would like to volunteer to join your team on this op. I'm familiar with the facility and I have the necessary security clearance to gain access further in."

"You don't need to twist my arm," Payton said. "I'll get Colby to set you up with a walkie and a vest."

"No piece?" Casey asked almost disappointingly. He'd practically be naked in there without a sidearm in his hands.

"Sorry Colonel, too much red tape. I'd be up to my eyes in paperwork if anyone found out I was allowing an armed grunt to tag along on police business, "Payton replied.

"Your men better be up for the task if there's shooting involved," Casey said as he headed over to the SWAT van. "And I'm Air Force, not an Army grunt!" he shouted back.

The operation went slower than Casey would have liked it but at least the SWAT team was being cautious. The facility was oddly quiet, save for the occasion sound of computer equipment. The computers used to develop whatever crazy computer crap that turned Bartowski into a walking trouble magnet were continuing to operate. As the team moved further inwards, Casey's mood had continued to become sourer. More often than not, the team found ransacked rooms and the words "civilian down" were relayed into radios.

Casey was ready to put his fist through a wall when he found a pistol just sitting on a desk. He hungrily reached for it like a man stranded in the desert finding water and snatched it up. As he hefted the gun he was filled with a sense of ... wrongness about it. For a weapon its size the weight felt wrong and the clip release was oddly placed. After a couple of attempts he got the clip out and looked at the loads. BBs, the clip were filled with BB gun pellets. The damn thing was a toy! Oh, he remembered when Bartowski and Grimes used to play around with those at the Buymore after closing time. Thankfully, Wu's libido started distracting the gnome a few months into "Operation Bartowksi" and Casey didn't have to worry about getting blinded by a stray shot while he restocked the shelves.

Bringing his thoughts back to the airgun, its existence here made him suspicious. Why would a toy, especially one that looked like a gun from afar, be in a high security location? For the life of him, he didn't have the time to figure it out. With a look of disappointment, Casey put the airgun pistol back on its resting place and turned to return to the rest of the team. He was almost out of the room when he heard a sound coming from the direction of the closet.

A chair had been wedged into the door handle and something, or someone was rattling against it. Could it be one of the hostiles? Casey couldn't be sure. A voice called out to him from behind the door, "Hello is someone there? If so, I'd appreciate it if you didn't try to shoot me."

"Move into the corner of the room with your hands on your head and I'll consider it," Casey barked at the unknown woman. He considered opening the door there and then but he had to consider his strategic position. Without a weapon, he'd be vulnerable if the unknown was armed. It hurt his pride but he needed the SWAT team to apprehend her. After explaining the situation to the team, he returned to the closet and waited for them to get into position. When he got the go ahead, Casey removed the chair and quickly moved aside as two members rushed in. They found a woman in a simple suit on her knees facing the wall with her hands on her head just like he said. It was nice to have someone listen to him for once.

As the men cuffed the woman, the radio flared to life. "We got wounded in the infirmary. Bravo team, what is your location?"

The leader of the team Casey tagged along with sent his reply and turned to Casey. "Here's the plan Colonel. We got two wounded and our team is going to be responsible for securing the area. " 

"Makes sense, "Casey reluctantly agreed. Weren't the cops all supposed to be incompetents? "If there's more wounded the infirmary would be the best place to treat them until the facility is secured? Does anyone on your team have medical training?"

"Only basic first aid, "the team leader admitted.

"I got plenty of experience with treating battlefield injuries. Since I'm a loose end anyways I might as well treat them, "Casey reluctantly volunteered. He needed any potential witnesses alive and this was the best way to get them out. He'd preferred to be on the firing lines but sometimes you just got to make those kinds of sacrifices on the job.

Bravo team slowly made their way to the infirmary without a hitch. Once Bravo showed up, Alpha team gave them a brief summary of the situation before continuing on. Upon entering the room, Casey saw two men. The first one was an older man wearing your typical scientist garb. He looked dazed but was still moving, and that was all that mattered to Casey. The other man had his back to him as he fussed over the scientist. He had a head of curly hair and it looked like he was trying to treat whatever wounds the first man had suffered.

Casey's stomach felt like it was in Zero-G when he saw the second man. It couldn't be him, could it? And then at once, Curly turned around revealing himself to be the bane of his existence, the king of the nerds himself, Chuck Bartowski. Upon seeing Casey, Chuck looked like he was about to say something when a familiar look spread across his face, as if he'd simultaneously smelled the worst thing ever and had been slapped across the face with a dead trout. Chuck had just flashed on him and now all sorts of sensitive information were floating around in his head again. A million thoughts went through Casey's head all at once. Among them were "Walker is going to be pissed", "How the hell did this happen?" and "Oh no, not again!" But the only words that he could muster at the moment were, "Well chuck me sideways."

N/A: Chief Payton is played by James McCaffrey.

Reviews are always welcome.


	12. Chapter 12

A/N: Sorry this chapter is a bit heavy on the exposition but I did my best to make sure it didn't drag too much. Also, I'd like to extend a big ol' "Thank You" to **jaytoyz** for betaing this for me.

Chapter 12

"You're not going to shoot me, are you Casey?" Chuck asked nervously. The two of them were in Casey's car heading to some CIA super secret base in the middle of nowhere. Casey wasn't the most cheery of people to begin with and the amount of finagling he had to do with Chief Payton didn't do much for his disposition.

"I'm tempted but that hard ass in charge wouldn't even let me bring a potato gun into the station. I've been unarmed all day!" Casey said with a snarl as he gripped the steering wheel in a vise like hold that had his fingers turning white. From experience, Chuck knew that an unarmed Casey is a skittish Casey and that was never a good thing. "I can't believe how this all happened. Not only do you decide to visit the bearded gnome just when an Intersect facility is going to be hit but you also just happen to attract the attention of a loony rogue Intersect agent. I swear Bartwoski, you must be cursed. Were you born on an Indian Burial ground or something?"

"A Stephen King reference? I'm impressed!" Chuck exclaimed before Casey's death glare killed his enthusiasm. "Well, it's not my fault this happened. I mean, how was supposed to know the Intersect had info on me? I thought you told me there was nothing left linking me to Charles Carmichael."

"There shouldn't be... or at least there wasn't when I was privy to the Intersect Project. To be frank, I haven't been in the loop since DARPA took over. It's not like a grunt's much use for algorithms and whatever brick-a-brac goes into making those things."

After a few quiet moments, Casey pulled into the parking lot of a non-descript building. The sign in front declared the place as "Nappy's Cannery" but as far as Chuck was concerned it might as well have been saying 'Spy Co.: Serving various suspicious activities since 1955'. The place just screamed 'Government Issue Blandness' to him. "So I take it we're not here to take the daily tour," Chuck joked, hoping to lighten the atmosphere in the rented car.

Casey shot him a dark look. "No, we're just going to pop into the gift shop for a snow globe. What do you think moron?! Who in their right mind wants to see the inside of a cannery anyways?!" That shut Chuck up in a hurry. He couldn't believe it but Casey seemed angrier than he's ever seen him before, and that covered a lot of anger. But he managed to calm himself down before adding, "No, we're going round back to access the auxiliary entrance to the way station. This front is a legit business with civies wandering around, so it's best we avoid them."

Wordlessly Chuck followed him to an especially bland looking wall at the back side of the building. The only reason it caught his eye was the complete lack of graffiti that seemed to adorn the rest of the building. Tapping at a plain looking block, Chuck was surprised when a touchpad seemed to appear from nowhere. Before he could point out how cool it was to have hidden 'spy stuff', Casey had entered a complex series of numbers into the keypad and a section of the wall was swinging inwards.

"Save it, moron! If you insist on speaking everytime you see something cool, we'll never get to where we're going" Casey grumbled before heading into the now revealed hallway.

The inside was much more interesting than the outside, going for that sleek yet not quiet futuristic-ey look that the now defunct Castle had. In an idle moment Chuck wondered if the CIA had a team of interior decorators on hand to create that cool look he'd come to expect. The two of them walked down a series of corridors that housed a series of tech that Chuck recognized. He was surprised to learn that it all looked worn yet was still serviceable. He had the feeling that this place must be low enough on the CIA totem pole that it only got the hand-me-downs from other stations.

The room Casey brought him to was just like one of the briefing rooms in Castle, with a table in the middle and a monitor on the wall. At one of the chairs sat a disheveled brunette who looked like she'd just been mugged. Despite the torn clothes and the cracked glasses, she looked fairly composed but seemed preoccupied with something. She was so focused on the scattered papers on the table that she didn't even seem to register their arrival. After a few moments of being ignored, Casey loudly cleared his throat to get her attention, this time rousing the woman from her vigil.

"Agent Black," Casey spoke. "I'm Colonel Casey and this is..."

"Chuck Bartowski," Black finished. "I can't believe it. Why would Colonel Casey bring you here?"

"Wait, how do you know this man?" Casey demanded before turning to glare at his companion. "And why aren't you surprised by this Bartowski? This is usually when you start babbling like a moron."

Chuck just shrugged. "I'm getting used to being recognized, I guess. "

"Really, you're surprised someone recognized the RIOS Defender?" Black asked incredulously. A blank yet still hostile look from Casey greeted her in response. "I guess you were out of the country for a good while Colonel, so I'll fill you in. Mr. Bartowksi here has become one of the most recognized faces on the planet after disrupting Roarke Industry's big presentation for their latest version of their latest operating system, RI Horizon. "

Now it was time for Casey to be mystified. "That's a big deal?"

"Big? It's on par with flashing the president during his inauguration speech! He somehow slipped past security and made Ted Roarke look like an ass in front of millions of people!" the brunette explained, her voice somewhere between awed and amused.

"And like that I became an internet meme. For 3 straight weeks my face was plastered on the front page of YouTube. My favorite one is the one with Guile's theme playing in the background. And before you call me a moron, I did try to hack the YouTube databases to get rid of them but they kept springing up. Meme are trickier to get rid of than Jeff's funk, " Chuck explained.

"Crap, " Casey muttered under his breath. Thinking back on it that must have been why they got spotted so quickly at the FULCRUM recruitment center. To be fair, Bartowski did warn Walker and him before that mission and like always they brushed him off. Neither agent had cottoned onto just how much this new internet crap could easily get their faces out there and render any future missions FUBAR before they even started.

"So now that we got that out of the way, let's get back to my original question Colonel. Why is Mr. Bartowski here?" Agent Black asked.

Casey grunted. "We'll cover that when the meeting starts Black. We're still waiting on those other agents and I hate repeating myself. "

"Fair enough, "she added tensely. Whatever hope of being civil with the Colonel had evidently gone out the window.

Out of nowhere a girlish scream ripped through the air and a short bald man came barreling in. For a moment Casey thought the gnome had managed to track them down when the man ducked underneath the conference table. "Oh Lord, don't let her get me. She's crazy!" the quivering mass blurted out.

Looking down at the scared man's face, it took Casey a moment to recognize the ugly mug of Harry Tang. "This day is turning into a bad joke, " he murmured to himself as he rubbed his head. He could feel the headache coming on already.

Despite the two year gap since he last saw him, Tang was almost exactly the same, right down to that rancid aftershave he often wore. The only differences he could notice at a glance were the absence of his wedding ring and the trickle of blood running down his face from the fresh cut on his forehead. He was about ready to curse the weasel out when the sound of footsteps drew his attention to the doorway where a pissed off Sarah Walker slowed to a stop just inside the room. He had no clue why she was there but it would explain the bout of terror Tang was experiencing. Knowing the man (although he was loath to call him such), he probably insulted Bartowski's manhood and/or his relationship with Walker upon finding out she was an agent and that set her off. His headache was threatening to become a full blown migraine and there wasn't anything to shoot or blow up. Throw a pregnant Jill Roberts carrying Bartowski's unholy spawn into this tableau and Casey could officially classify this day as the worst he'd ever experienced.

Peeking his head out, Tang finally noticed Chuck and a mixture of relief and contempt spread across his face. "Bartowski, you got to help me! Your wrangler's gone off the deep end and she's out for my blood!" Looking past Chuck, the terror-stricken look was back on Tang's face in an instant. Letting out a squeak, he ducked back under the table.

"Good to see you too Harry, "Chuck replied smugly. He was really enjoying the sight of a terrified Harry Tang. "You know, I'd love to help you out, I really would but I promised Sarah that I'd let her fight her own battles. It's completely out of my hands. Tell you what, I'll have Morgan come up with something nice for your epitaph, maybe get Anna to set up a nice fireworks display for the funeral. I can't guarantee she won't go crazy with the powder but what can you do, she's an artist with stuff that goes boom and you know how stubborn artists can be..."

As much as he enjoyed seeing the worm squirm, Casey knew that you don't keep a General waiting. Reaching under the desk, he grabbed Tang by the collar of his polo shirt and hauled him onto his feet. "Listen, we're going to have a meeting that deals with material that's well above your pay grade. Unless you want to risk having the Director sanction a hit on you, I suggest getting going somewhere to get that cut looked at and then getting back in position."

"B-but what about..." Harry trailed off as he looked past Casey to the still miffed Walker.

"As long as you keep your mouth shut Walker wouldn't risk showing up to a meeting soaked in blood, right Walker?"

"You know I'm Agency through and through, Casey" she replied coolly. She took a measure of pleasure seeing the look of fear her ambiguous words caused in the ex-Buy More employee. It wasn't until she sheathed her knife that Tang could gather the nerve to even look in her general direction. He shot her a malicious look before dashing out of the room, passing the bored looking agent that had showed up with Bartowski's psycho.

Not even sparing a look at the fleeing man, the stiff suited man looked quizzically at Sarah. "Was that necessary Agent Walker? Mr. Tang was co-operating."

"You'd think so if you knew that... man, "She said, spitting the last word out.

A weary Agent Black stood up. To Chuck's eyes she looked like she'd rather be anywhere else but was resigned to being where she was and getting the job done. "Hello Agent Walker, Agent Shaw. It's good that you could make it on time. I'm Agent Black, this is Colonel Casey" she said as she gestured to Casey before shifting her finger slightly, "and Mr. Bartowski. And no I have no idea why there's a civilian here. I just got the order that he was supposed to be sitting in on this meeting, which is going to begin shortly. Shall we?" she asked while gesturing towards the empty chairs around the table.

Wordlessly Sarah took the seat beside Chuck, as she had grown accustomed to since the days of Operation Bartowksi. Millions of questions were running through her head, but all of them had the same theme: 'Why was Chuck here?' From Casey's presence, this definitely had nothing to do with Montebloom or the attack from a couple of days ago, so what would bring the old bloodhound to the tropics? Her thoughts were interrupted by the appearance of General Beckman and Director Mason on the screen. She only met Mason a handful of times but she could recognize the bland looking man. It was only the jagged scar on his neck that made him stand out from the numerous ordinary looking agents the agency regularly hired back in the Cold War days. On the other side of the split display was the General sporting her usual sour expression. It was almost as if a whole year hadn't passed since they last had had one of these meetings.

The General dove right in, skipping the small talk which reminded Chuck of many meetings in the past. "Agents and Mr. Bartowski, we've assembled you here for a very grave reason. At 1310 hours, one of our research facilities was attacked by an unknown number of operatives. It has been confirmed that in the process, several scientists were been killed and copies of the research being done there were taken."

"What was the nature of the research? Was there anything else taken that could an immediate threat, " Shaw asked.

"Are you familiar with the Intersect project, Agent Shaw?" the head of the NSA asked, obviously a little perturbed by the interruption.

"Only rumors General. I heard it was a way to program agents subliminal so that they can learn skills instantly and retain absurd amounts of data. Sounds like bad science fiction to me, " he answered candidly.

General Beckman fixed Shaw with a grave expression (even more so than Chuck was used to seeing on her). "The project is very real, and it's only due to your exceptional record that I would even confirm as much. My counterpart with the CIA considers you one of the best operatives they have and we need the best if we're going to retrieve the research. It's obvious you can't operate blind, so consider this your briefing into the Intersect project, agent. The intention of the Intersect was to allow agents to be able to analyze data gathered in the field and instantly compare it existing intel to determine patterns. Imagine, if you will, being able to identify an elusive operative, like the infamous 'Carlos the Jackal', at a glance or discovering an assassination attempt will be mounted on a Senator, from a scrap of paper."

"That would be amazing, in theory. Did it actually work?" Shaw questioned, suddenly showing more interest.

Director Mason spoke up. "Agent Black has been operating as liaison for the project, so she would be the most qualified to answer that. Agent, if you will?"

"Gladly sir," Agent Black replied, although the answer was clearly unenthusiastic. She cleared her throat. "The Intersect did work like advertised. The problem was that it was overtaxing the brains of the agents we "uploaded" with the Omaha framework. Strokes and brain damage became common after a few months of use. "

"How about paranoia?" Chuck guessed. From what he saw Badger wasn't exactly playing with a full deck.

"Oh yes, that was common in the agents that were still coherent, " Black answered, which earned her a gulp from Chuck. He looked like he was going to say something but a look from the Colonel shut him up.

She continued. "We determined that the cause was due to the fact that the user couldn't disable the feature at will and there was just too much irrelevant data being retrieved every time. There were too many things triggering data retrieval, from watching news feeds to looking at the ingredients for cereal, and the human brain just wasn't designed for handling that massive amount of information over a relatively short amount of time."

"Sounds suspect. Why did the project get the go ahead with human subjects if there were negative long term effects?" Shaw asked. Chuck could feel his skin crawl as he heard the question. Considering Sarah and Casey's silence, he had a feeling he knew the answer.

"There was one host that held the Intersect framework for two years without major complications. The host, identified only as IH616, reported infrequent headaches during his stint as a test subject and so it was assumed that it wasn't detrimental in humans. Since IH616 was instrumental in dismantling the terrorist organization known as FULCRUM, Secretary Palmer has been pushing hard to get more Intersect agents out in the field."

"It happened too soon, " Sarah spoke up. "Palmer put too much stock in those reports. The analysts downplayed how much difficulty IH616 had with handling the Intersect, not to mention how exceptional his mental capacity is. At the time, nobody understood just how much data was being processed, not even 616. We're talking hundreds of terabytes, possibly thousands. We're lucky that the first flash didn't outright kill the Intersect agents."

"Thus the necessity of going back to the drawing board" Black continued. "For the past few months we've been working on a new version of the Omaha firmware, a version 2, if you will. The focus of this new project was twofold: first to reduce the amount of data being accessed by the host during data retrieval and second, to give the host control over when the data retrieval, or a 'flash', as Agent Walker calls the process, is done. In order to achieve the first goal, we've focused on improving the search algorithms being used to query what information is important for a given situation. Currently, version 1 uses a sequential search algorithm to search through specific blocks of intel whenever certain stimuli triggers a response."

Noticing the blank looks on Casey and Shaw's faces, Chuck joined the conversation. "Think of it like looking for a name in a telephone book by starting at the beginning every time. No matter how you dice it, it's definitely a real time waster especially when there are a whole bunch of better solutions available. Heck, I could have designed something better after pulling an all nighter playing Halo,"

Ignoring that last part, Black said, "Right on the money Mr. Bartowski. Of course, several features were also being introduced as well. They're not important but let's just say they'd be a large asset for a field agent."

_Like being able to process a rough map on the fly_, Chuck thought to himself. Just what else ended up in his head this time?

"From what we can gather Agent Shaw, it's of upmost importance that we regain this research. Even without the intel it would certainly give our enemies a major advantage in the field should it fall into their hands, " General Beckman added.

"So, do we have video footage of the hostiles?" Casey asked impatiently. All this tech stuff was starting to get on his nerves.

"That's a negative Colonel. The thieves were able to neutralize the security systems right before their assault. Whoever they are, they seem to have in depth knowledge of the facility, "Director Mason replied. "At this moment we have no evidence of who is involved."

Casey cleared his throat. "I hate to contradict you Director, but that's not true. A reliable source tells us that at least one ex-FULCRUM agent was involved. It might be a stretch but the eggheads might be able to uncover something useful. "

"That's the thing Colonel, I'm not confident that your so-called source's intel is reliable to begin with," Director Mason replied with a sneer.

"Then perhaps a demonstration is required. Mr. Bartowski, I want you to tell us everything about the operative, codenamed Black Briar, " said General Beckman. At the mention of the name, Chuck could feel the beginnings of a flash and didn't try to fight it. His head didn't hurt as much this time, as the data didn't flood his head all at once. He glanced around the table and saw shocked looks on the faces of Agent Black and Sarah. No, it was more than shock on Sarah's face. Chuck couldn't put his finger on what it was but if he had to guess, it would be dread. Shaw's face on the other hand held a story he couldn't decipher.

Chuck cleared his throat before beginning. "Agent Black Briar is a deep cover agent that was involved in several high profile assignments including Operation Sting Walrus and Operation Magma Stag. I'm just curious but who came up with these names? They sound like Mega Man bosses!" He exclaimed before another look from Casey shut him up.

"Right, leave that for later. Moving on. So, our mystery agent transferred out of deep cover until an old contact left a message for her about a sale on nuclear arms happening in France. This began Operation Spanish Fly and things were going well until Briar failed to show up for a meeting with her handler. A week later the handler was found dead in the river, the poor soul. Jump to a few months later when Briar was seen canoodling with a Miguel Arcuarius, a 'Big Deal' drug lord and the man who reportedly walked off with the nukes. At this point, she was declared rogue and she wasn't seen again for some time until she was spotted in Barcelona. An attempt was made to apprehend her but the agent they sent claimed to have shot her in self defence. "

Shaw immediately shot to his feet, his hands balled into tight fists. The sign of aggression caused Sarah's hand to dart underneath the table but she managed to stay seated. "How do you know all this?!" He demanded.

"Damn it Agent, weren't you paying attention? He's been uploaded with the Intersect!" Black exclaimed. She quickly turned to Chuck, "Mr. Bartowski, are you feeling ok? Do you still have feeling in your hands and feet? Do you smell burnt toast? Does the air taste purple to you?"

"What the hell are you yammering on about Black?!" Casey bellowed. The questions were starting to get weirder by the minute and that was starting to worry him.

"Those are early warning sign of the brain misfiring Colonel. Early volunteers for the Intersect program had reported these symptoms soon after being uploaded if their brains couldn't handle version 1, " Black explained. "At least we had the means to nullify the Intersect. If my guess is correct, Mr. Bartowski got uploaded with version 2 which was still in the beta phase. "

"You got that right Agent," Director Mason said. "He was accidently uploaded during the assault this morning to make matters worse. Maybe now would be the best time for him to give us him briefing. Mr. Bartowski if you would?"

And so Chuck retold the events of that morning, from being nabbed at the gas station to waking up at the facility and stopping the ex-FULCRUM agent from killing the scientist. Instead of saying he was identified as Charles Carmichael he used Casey's cover story that he'd worked as a digital security consultant on the project and the man who had kidnapped him had pulled that from the Intersect. Sarah's expression tried to stay neutral throughout but at times he noticed her expressions change from worry to dread and, at one point, pride that he managed to save the scientist from becoming another statistic. Leave it to Chuck to save a stranger's life even when he had been dropped right into the deep end. Still, the worry didn't leave her after Chuck told them about the Intersect agent he called Badger. Several Intersect hosts had gone MIA during her time in the program and the idea of one hunting Chuck made her stomach turn to ice.

"So, what happens to Chuck now? Does he end up in a bunker or..." Sarah trailed off. She couldn't bear to bring up the idea of a sanction being placed on her beloved nerd.

"Neither Agent Walker. After that debacle with Agent Forrest there's absolutely no way we're going to take action against a member of the Woodcomb family, " Director Mason announced.

"I am sorry sir, but I am completely in the dark about what happened with this Agent Forrest. Did it put the Agency's good name at risk?" Shaw asked.

"It definitely did Agent. Agent Forrest managed to piss off a Senator and was caught running an op on US soil. She was tasked with planting a GPS tracker on Rashad Ahmad while he was getting heart surgery. She ended up shooting his surgeon, Dr. Devon Woodcomb, with one of our experimental Twilight Darts in order to get his security card while at his bachelor party and then proceeded to grope him, "Director Mason said clinically. This wasn't news to Chuck, but it still made him cringe to hear it. He knew he should have been suspicious when Forrest refused to tell him what she did after Casey whisked him away.

"Pictures of her drapped over Woodcomb's body had been posted on Facebook and Woodcomb received a drug test the next day. Senator Davenport, who is Dr. Woodcomb's uncle, got suspicious when the dart's serum showed up in the tests and nobody was able to identify what it was. The good senator launched an investigation into whether the unknown woman in the picture had drugged him or not and had convinced the FBI to track the woman down. Facial identification didn't give her identity but reported her as an intelligence agent, giving the senator enough ammunition to open up an investigation. I can't tell you how much crap hit the fan when the trial went public. So to clarify, Mr. Bartowski is not to be harmed or detained."

"However, " the General began, "his situation has given us an advantage here. We have a perfectly working and stable Intersect host on hand, one whose face isn't flagged by any intelligence agencies, and we'd be wasting a good opportunity if we didn't make use of it... him. Mr. Bartowski, I've discussed it over with Secretary Palmer and we'd like to hire you on, at least for the duration of this investigation. Officially, you'd be a consultant and you'll be paid the same going rate as before, while assisting the agents in their investigation."

"Well, I'm going to have to think about it. I admit, the money was good but I remember the hours were kind of being on the sucky side. Well, there's also the fact that I'm currently on vacation with friends. Let's say that I say 'no'. What happens then?" Chuck asked.

"Colonel Casey will escort you back to Hickam Air Force Base where you'll be taken to one of the other Intersect facilities and the data currently in your head will be overwritten. As Director Mason said, you might be safe from sanctions but we'd be negligent if we allowed our accumulated intelligence to simply wander around out in the open."

So his choices were to stay on the Island and help catch some bad guys or be dragged off to some random hole in the ground for lord knows how long. Despite their words Chuck was still wary that the NSA or CIA might come up with something to detain him for, well... forever. Plus if Sarah was part of the mission... well let's just say her charming presence would more than make up for Colonel Frumpy-pants and Agent Hot-and-Cold.

"Ok, I'll do it but I have a few conditions. One, try to keep my friends out of this as much as possible. My friend Anna's father gotten beat up at that hostage thing at Mr. Montebloom's mansion and I don't want to cause her or my buddy Morgan any more grief. Two, I don't want to be monitored like some science experiment 24/7. I... I remember what happened with IH616 last time I worked for you guys and I don't want that happening to me. And finally, I want to keep away from the action as much as possible. Last time I got directly involved in a mission my face got plastered all over the Internet and the news, and let me tell you, being famous isn't all it's cracked up to be."

"Very well, we'll make accommodations for your security Mr. Bartowski. From my reports, Agent Walker departure was handled amicably so nothing would be amiss if she were to re-insert herself into your life. Is this correct Agent?"

"Yes, of course," Sarah replied lamely. She wasn't sure if she should disclose her relationship with Chuck or not.

"I'm sure she'll have no problem playing the girlfriend, "Director Mason added cryptically. "As of now, I'm pulling Agents Walker and Shaw from their current investigation and re-assigning them to this one. From their reports, Agent Shaw's team had basically accomplished their mission so that shouldn't be a problem. As of now, Agents Shaw and Walker will extract themselves from their current assignment while Agent Black has time to manage her affairs. You three are to return here at 1800 hours for your new set of orders."

"Thank you sir. All this happened so fast that I haven't been able to get anyone to pick my little girl up from daycare later, " Agent Black said in a relieved manner.

"Colonel, you're to return Mr. Bartowksi to the police station and see if any new developments have occurred," General Beckman said. "If there's no further question, you're all dismissed."

A/N: Yes, RI Horizon is the new Windows Vista. And no, there won't be any Jill Roberts in this story. Jordana Brewer couldn't take time off from filming Fast and Furious 29: Fast Like Whoa!

As always, reviews are always welcome.


	13. Chapter 13

A/N: Thanks to everyone that reviewed this sucker. I also wanted to say "Thank You" to **jaytoyz** for taking the time to give this a once over. This chapter wouldn't of been as grammatically correct without him.

Chapter 13

The man Chuck called Badger awoke to the familiar smell of industrial cleaner punctuated with the delicate fragrance of vomit. His eyes shot open and he took in the room he found himself in. It contained four gray walls, a tray that can be lowered and a television set that hung from the ceiling. He was in a hospital room, and not one of the Agency owned ones. The dead giveaway was the fact that he wasn't strapped to the bed and surrounded by guards but he couldn't concentrate on that. What occupied his mind was the absence of his treasured notebook. For as long as he could remember (and he admitted to itself that in itself wasn't that far) it was his constant companion, his lifeline to anything resembling sanity, and now it was missing. He could feel the panic rising in his chest. Nothing he'd gone through in life, the schools, the training, the tutors, none of it had prepared him for dealing with this mind numbing terror. He was unmoored now from everything familiar and the thought paralyzed him.

_'Well, if you're lost you could always backtrack', _said a friendly sounding voice. It wasn't exactly heard by the man, more like the words just popped into his mind, but it registered with his thoughts all the same_. _It wasn't a flash it was... a memory_. _He wished he could write that one down, that was one of the happier memories he'd stumbled upon, but at least he could make use of it. It was helpful advice after all.

But where to begin... oh yes he was in the facility after grabbing... what's his face and he was heading to the imaging room. He did find it but it was locked up tight. During his search of the area he did stumble across a woman with access and had grabbed her card key from her belt before stuffing her into a closet. He was mortified to discover that the thought of executing the woman crossed his mind before he remembered that he wasn't wielding a real gun. A real one would take too long to get a hold of in the islands and smuggling one in his luggage was a no go. The easily attained airgun was useless in a gunfight but perfect for a bluff in the dark or from afar, or jabbed into the small of someone's back. The woman didn't give him any real trouble so he settled for pistol whipping her and blocking the door with a chair to hold her. With his disguise and the key card Badger then had the run of the place and things for once were going smoothly.

Some small part of him whispered that things never went smoothly.

He'd set up the equipment in the imaging room and was on his way to retrieve his quarry when a man clad in black almost ran right into him. From his gear Badger could tell that he wasn't security and lashed out. The fight was a blur but he found himself the victor but drenched in blood. He stumbled into the room he stuffed the woman in and checked his wounds. Nothing. It was only when he looked at his left hand did he realize that he was clenching a pistol, a silenced H&K SOCOM pistol and not the airgun. He'd shot the man and he didn't even remember it. Since the airgun was now useless he dropped it on a desk before heading out into the hallway with gun at the ready. He was almost at the office where he left... Charlie. _I think that_ _was his name_ he thought. And then... pain. A succession of three pangs of pain ripped through him as darkness took over and then here he was. In some hospital he`d never been in before without a single soul to help him.

_But things aren`t so bad,_ he thought to himself. No guards or restraints meant he was a patient and not a prisoner. The janitor jumpsuit had protected him in that regard. Maybe he could slip out when nobody was looking. He could do it, easily in fact, but what should he do?

"I need to figure out what to do... order my thoughts", he murmured to himself. Looking around, he noticed a pad of paper and a pen. "Perfect!" he whispered before snatching up his find. He started at the top of the page and scribbled a big # 1 followed by the word 'NOTEBOOK' which he then underlined twice. Directly underneath he wrote #2 which he immediately followed with, 'FIND CHARLIE'. He knew he didn't have long and Charlie was his only hope. He had to help him. He had to.

0-0

Sarah's mind was reeling with the new developments. She needed to touch base with Chuck to figure this all out, away from prying eyes. They had much to talk about, professional as well as personal. Sarah mentally chuckled to herself because it seemed that since meeting with Chuck, the two had become one big jumbled mess. Still, she didn't want a repeat of what they unofficially called "Operation Bartowski". Trying to anticipate Chuck's train of thought was an exercise in futility due to the simple fact that he was literally like nobody she'd ever met. No, they were going to have to be on the same page if they were going to get through this in one piece while staying out of jail. The problem was the fact that she didn't trust Black or Shaw not to rat her out to the higher ups if it became obvious that she had a personal interest in their "new" Intersect. She didn't have the rapport with Shaw that she did with Casey and Black was still an unknown factor.

She was mulling over how to isolate Chuck from the others when Casey came to the rescue. "Alright Black, you've been here the longest so you'd be familiar with this station by now, " he said with a matter of authority, "so why don't you tell us everything you think we might need to know". His tone of voice left no doubt that he wasn't in the mood for a "No".

"Well I have been here once or twice in the past but mainly I did the bulk of my work at the Intersect facility. I didn't really have much of a reason to be here since I haven't been a field agent in years, " she admitted.

"Good enough to get me to the armoury. I've been weaponless for too long. Practically naked, "the last sentence he muttered under his breath but not quietly enough to avoid the perturbed looks on Chuck's and Black's faces. He turned to Shaw and said, "You can tag along too Agent. I can tell you've been itching to get armed."

"Does it show?" Shaw asked stoically.

_Not as far as I can tell_, Chuck thought to himself.

Shaw continued. "I will happily join you, but what about Mr. Bartowski? I cannot imagine leaving him unattended being a good idea."

Casey gave him grunt #64, which according to Chuck translated to "I know that moron!" Like he told Sarah later, it's important to note the exclamation point for that one. Casey then added, "Why doesn't Walker takes the nerd and get familiar with the security systems here. That's his field of expertise and it'll be good if he familiarized himself with it in case things somehow manage to get even more FUBAR. "

It was posed as a suggestion by the Colonel but as far as Black was concerned it was definitely "_An Order"_, and one doesn't argue with "_An Order"_ unless they were looking to get "_The Boot"_. "Sounds good to me, " she said. "I'll set Mr. Bartowski up on a guest account for now. I'll ask Mr. Tang about setting up administration rights when we go see him about the requisition forms for your sidearms."

_Oh great, Tang's got the keys to this place_, Casey gloomily thought to himself.

Sarah gave Casey a friendly nod as the man took the other agents with him (her equivalent of the rare Casey Grunt #471: "Thank You") For the umpteenth time Sarah thanked the powers that be that she partnered with Casey two years prior and vowed to gift him some of the best contraband commie cigars money could buy come next Christmas.

Minutes later, Chuck found himself being dragged enthusiastically by Sarah into what he figured was the main security room. Looking around, he noticed a row of monitors, a few computer terminals and a complete lack of cameras. It finally dawned on him why Sarah was in such a hurry to get here. After closing the door behind them Chuck found himself wrapped in a hug from Sarah, a rare occurrence but not an unwelcome one. For once Chuck found himself speechless in front of her as she held him close to her body. He'd discovered that Sarah communicated best through actions and although he wasn't as versed in "Sarah Action" as he was in "Casey Grunt", he did notice a few things. The hug obviously meant that she missed him dearly but he also picked up on how tense she felt when his arms encircled her. She was worried about him, about what happened and what the implications of having the Intersect 2.0 in his head could mean for his health and his future. _Our future_, he mentally corrected himself.

"Missed you too, " Chuck muttered into her hair before kissing it. That helped relax her a bit but she remained on the edge of a classic Sarah freak out. Not a Morgan level of freak out, thankfully, but a panicky Sarah was still not a good thing. Well, she is a woman of action. Maybe it's best if we work on a plan for dealing with this, try to keep her from dwelling on this, he thought to himself.

"Talk to me Sarah, I feel just about out of my depth on this. What are we going to do?" Chuck asked.

Sarah, like Chuck correctly guessed, was relieved that they were going to talk about more practical matters. "Well, for now it's probably best that we play along for now. I imagine that the ports and airports have already been put on high alert so it's not like making a run for it is possible. "

"You think we should tell anyone that we're, you know, uh... seeing each other? It's not like I'm officially 'an asset' this time and it could make things easier in the long run."

Sarah mulled on that for a moment. In the 1.821 seconds it took for her to reach her conclusion a frown appeared on her face. "To be honest, I'm not sure. I'm sure Casey wouldn't mind as long as we're not getting too frisky on a mission but I'm not sure about Beckman. Military types usually make a stink about fraternizing on the job. Then there's Daniel Shaw. There's a sort of ruthlessness about him and I wouldn't put it past him to exploit our relationship if he thinks it'll help him get his way. Plus there's Agent Black, who I know nothing about save she's been a desk jockey for some time now."

Chuck replied, "She did mention she had a daughter, so I don't think she'd be one of those pesky traitors we keep running into." Seeing the skeptical look on Sarah's face, he quickly added, "Hey, she did look grateful when your boss gave her time to grab a sitter for her little girl. I doubt someone that worries so much about their kids is willing to pull them into nasty stuff like selling out your country for a few bucks."

"I hope you're right Chuck, I really do, " Sarah said unenthusiastically. Being in her father's life didn't stop him from running cons on the type of people that wouldn't hesitate to make them both disappear. _Not many people are as selfless with the people they love,_ she mentally noted.

"Hey, it's not all bad news. From the sounds of things, the best way to use what's up here, "Chuck said as he tapped his head, "is to us it for office stuff instead the usual spy stuff. I'll just sort through airport security feeds and the crew manifests until I flash on a few evil doers and then the cops or whoever can round them up. Nice and simple, and safe too!"

"And if the General or Director Mason thinks you might be more useful in the field?"

Chuck shrugged, "Well, as long as we're not sulking around super duper high security facilities we ought to be okay. I'm not the first obnoxious tourist to these parts so I won't stick out like a sore thumb. I mean, what's so suspicious about a guy and his girlfriend getting away to the islands for a few days?"

Sarah brightened at that last statement. "Thinking about the cover Mr. Bartowksi?" She said with that heart stopping smile of hers. "May, how professional of you. Oh course, if we're really going to sell it, we're going to have to go the whole nine yards. "

"Let me guess, hand holding, PDA and calling each other pet names in public right? I think I can handle that. Mind you, I don't think we came up with any before but I can get creative when I put my mind to it, "Chuck added. _All I have to do is avoid taking one of the millions Morgan seemed to come up with for Anna. Reusing someone else's pet name is definitely a faux pas or at least it should be_, he thought to himself.

"Now you're thinking like a spy, although I'll pass on the pet names. Think you're up to the task?"

"Well..." Chuck began. "It has been awhile since I've seen my very lovely lady so I might be bit rusty on my PDA."

"Can't have that in the field now can we? Guess I'll have to give the refresher course, "Sarah said mischievously. The witty reply Chuck devised died a painless death as Sarah hauled him into her patented lip lock. _Always the perfectionist_, Chuck happily thought as his hand clumsily reached for the door's lock. Wouldn't do to have this class interrupted.

0-0

An hour later Colonel John Casey stepped out of the firing range a much calmer man. The experience of unloading a few hundred rounds into some targets always helped him relax even when, in his mind's eye, he substituted the paper targets for the ones most deserving of his wrath. Oh he'd love to strap Tang to the training dummy and graze him a few times but his discipline held when his rage threatened to boil over. The problem started when Tang went AWOL on his shift and they had to hunt him down. Shaw found him cowering under the sinks in the washroom. Despite the fact that he abandoned his post AND made Casey waste time looking for him, he still managed to remind himself he was the station head and muster the nerve to talk down to him like Casey was still a lowly green shirt.

Tang's delusions of superiority only got worse when it became apparent that they wanted something from him and he tried his best to extort Casey for the guns. When Casey offered his counterproposal of a punch to the face, he finally relinquished but still managed to dick them around. At first Tang tried to push a .25 caliber pistol on him that was older than he was but thankfully Black talked him into submission using rules that she may or may not have thought up on the spot. The guns they did get weren't the latest but they were serviceable, a Colt 1911 for Casey, a Browning 9mm for Shaw and a Walther PPK for Walker. He was sure Bartowski would go gaga over the fact she was using the same pistol that arrogant puke James Bond used in the movies. Black refused to arm herself citing that she hadn't received firearm certification in 7 years. How an agent could so wholeheartedly embrace becoming a desk jockey that she even let her weapons skills go to pot just baffled Casey to no end.

When he finally met up with the 'love-birds' of Project Bartowski it became apparent to Casey that they were familiarizing themselves with more than the security systems. It wasn't their appearance that gave them away, what with Bartowski already looking manhandled when he arrived and Walker looking done up. No, it was just how nauseatingly happy they were. Bartowski was whistling a tune as he strolled up and Walker's eyes had lost that hard edge they had earlier. He was tempted to say something when a happy epiphany came to him: whatever disgusting things the two of them were up to was none of his concern. Bartwoski was technically a consultant and not an asset so he didn't have to play chaperon for the nerd. Also, if the two of them were knocking combat boots that meant he didn't have to hear about Bartowski's lady feeling s being hurt by Walker's professionalism.

"Hey guys, " Chuck called out. "I was just finished going over the system with Sarah. It's running an older version of the OS we used in the past so it didn't take long to get my bearings."

"I am worried about using older technology. I heard that this model sometimes gives false alerts whenever a rat gets in, " Sarah said. "Hopefully we won't see any action. Chuck tells me half of the equipment was made in the 80's, so it might not be reliable."

"Tell me about it. I've been bothering head office about at least sending over some newer hand-me-downs but they won't bulge. Said it would be a drain on the budget. Can you believe that? They're willing to dump millions into developing flashy gadgets that end up rotting in some warehouse and yet when it comes to practical stuff like say replacing faulty fire alarms they drag their feet," Black ranted. From the sound of it this wasn't exactly a new development.

"Our tax dollars at work, " Chuck murmured to himself. Thankfully nobody seemed to hear him.

Casey started in. "We'll just have to get by on what we got. Walker, we've managed to convince Tang to allocate some working firearms so you'll need to see the weasel before the briefing. If he gives you any lip, impress him with one of your knife tricks. Despite my better, judgement I'm going to bring Bartowski back to the cop shop. I need to get him back there before the Police Chief starts getting suspicious and makes a mess out of this ramshackle operation. The rest of you know what to do".

"Got it. See you soon Chuck, " Sarah said before strolling off. It took all of Chuck's willpower not to let his eyes follow her out.

"I look forward to working with you Mr. Bartowski," Agent Black said as she extended her hand.

"Call me Chuck. We in the IT field prefer a friendly work environment."

"Then you can call me Jordan, " she replied. "Have a safe trip."

After waiting a moment for Shaw to add his 2 cents worth and failing to get it, Chuck turned and followed Casey out. They were back at the rental when Casey turned and said to him, "Hope you did a better job cleaning up after yourselves than Grimes used to do in the home theatre" before slipping behind the wheel. The rest of the trip back was made in silence as Chuck was rendered speechless , which by Casey's estimate was a good thing.

A/N: In case you were confused by Badger's part in the beginning, keep in mind that his narrative is supposed to be confusing and contradictory.


	14. Chapter 14

A/N: Thanks again for everyone that left reviews. Can't speak for all writers but it's nice getting the feedback. Once again I'd be remiss if I didn't show my gratitude and recognition to **jaytoyz** for helping with this.

**Chapter 14**

Chuck was sipping on the stone cold coffee when a familiar voice called out "Chuck!" For a moment he almost added a coffee splotch to his already sullied shorts but, for once, his nerves held out as his grip remained firm. He'd been sitting in the police station's cafeteria under the watch of Mal, Morgan's friend on the force and his onetime Halo teammate. Police Chief Peyton decided to have one of his men babysit him for the rest of the day, just in case Chuck's kidnapper decided to make another attempt and Mal happily volunteered. Although they'd never met in person, the usually laid back Mal got along well with Chuck whenever they had gamed online and thought it would be nice to have a conversation for once that didn't revolve around the finding the best way to frag the opposing team.

Jerking around, he came face to face with the bearded visage of his best bud. Morgan wrapped Chuck in his version of a bear-hug before stepping back, relief washing over his face. The way his lips were stained purple just hinted at his anxiety. Grape soda was Morgan's drink of choice and he just about guzzled the stuff, like Anna on a Dr. Pepper bender, when he was in a funk or his nerves were getting the best of him. "Holy cow Chuck, are you alright? Anna feared the worst when that murderous hobo drove off with you in the backseat, annnnddd, well, I'm not ashamed to admit I did too. As soon as I saw your iPhone on the ground, just lying out there, abandoned on the cold harsh concrete, I knew something bad had happened to you. "

"You that attached to your phone, Chuck?" Mal asked quizzically.

"Well I did drop $300 on it, and it is so dang handy... but yeah, that phone and I are practically joined at the hip," Chuck admitted.

"An iPhone with no Chuck is just a bad omen, " Morgan added solemnly. "Throw in the fact that he pulled a gun on my Banana Rama just makes this guy one bad apple in my book. I thought he was going to shoot us back at the gas station. He got a case of the crazy eyes when his scarf got caught in the door."

"I'm glad you guys didn't get hurt. I don't think he was all right, up here," Chuck said as he tapped the side of his head. "He seemed to get confused a lot and he twitched more than Mrs. McTavish's cat after we gave it a liter of Coke. He claimed to be some sort of secret agent but for all I know, he could have been some janitor that just snapped." The white lie had come with great ease and once again Chuck mentally cursed whatever cruel fates had led him to lying to his best buddy in the whole wide world.

Mal just shrugged. "Well, doesn't really matter at this moment. The description Morgan gave us of the perp was good enough for us to make a sketch of the guy. We've faxed it to the FBI so hopefully we'll have a better idea about who this guy is. Got to say, Morgan, the boys were actually impressed by how much you were able to remember about that loony, despite him sticking a gun in your face. Most of the statements we've gotten in the past aren't that detailed, not even when we're asking about family."

Chuck missed Morgan's reply but he wasn't surprised by the revelation about his buddy's eye for detail. Even as kids Morgan was quick to point out the inconsistencies in whatever TV show or movie they were watching (like catching the kid at the end of Back to the Future 3 pointing to his crotch) and he could easily describe blow for blow the fight scenes in the most frantic of chop-socky films they'd ever watched, much to Anna's delight. If Morgan caught a glimpse at his kidnapper it was practically as good as catching him on camera.

Chuck didn't believe Badger was connected to the people that stormed the facility but he had to know something. If the cops were able to pick him up that was one less problem Casey would be getting on his case about and one more step towards getting the Intersect software out of the hands of those people. Even without the data the Omaha framework was dangerous as Chuck experienced firsthand at Sunny Meadow and later in the imaging chamber. Chuck shuddered at the untold deaths it could cause if some maniacs were able to broadcast an Intersect upload full of gibberish over a major TV event like the Super Bowl.

Whether from a lifetime of knowing Chuck or because he had a terrible poker face, Morgan caught onto Chuck's worry in a flash. "Hey don't worry man, I'm sure the cops will get the guy," Morgan said. "I admit I did have a hard time with that dense forest that hobo was passing off as a beard plastered to his face but I did manage to help them get a good likeness of the guy."

Chuck sighed. To his ears it made him sound older than his 29 years of living should have. "I hope so buddy, I really do. He sounded like he needs help badly."

Mal shook his head. "You must be a saint Chuck. The guy tased you, dumped who knows what all over you and drags you off to some top secret government lab that became a warzone AND all you can think about is helping him. If that happened to me I'd hoped a billion and one bad things happened to him after he disappeared."

"Well, I can't say that I'm particularly happy all that happened to me but I can't hate the guy. He's not in his right mind and he honestly thought that I could help him somehow." Chuck said.

"That's Chuck for you Mal, not a mean bone in his body," Morgan supplied. "He wouldn't even badmouth his arch-nemesis Bryce Larkin even if he drop kicked a puppy and then burned down an orphanage right in front of him. Nicest guy in the world and bad stuff just keeps happening to him. You remember that party you lent your suit to Chuck for? It became bad guy central and we almost got blown to bits! It just gets my goat that we were all set to show Chuck a good time for his first vacation in forever and fate keeps kicking sand in his face, metaphorically of course."

"Well it hasn't been a complete wash," Chuck replied quickly. The past few days had been stressful for his buddy as well as himself and he didn't want to get his spirits down for something none of them could prevent. "I did get a chance to hang out with you guys for the first time in forever and we had that epic sized skee-ball tourney. Plus we still have the rest of my vacation to go zip lining or whatever we can dream up."

Morgan's spirits perked up. "That's true, there's still time to prevent this from becoming your worst vacation since your dad dragged you and Ellie to Yellowstone and you got bit by that coyote. Let me see... it's probably too late for the beach and I bet you're probably aren't up for the nightlife. How about we grab some grub and get some quality Call of Duty time in? There's this place I've heard of that makes the best tacos and croquettes this side of the pacific. If we leave now we'll be able to beat Anna back to the apartment. Man, I love this place! Where else can you find a takeout place that does both?"

"Damn, that does sound good. You guys mind if I join you in around 7:00? My shift ends around then and I've got a hankering for a good taco, " Mal said with a glint in his eyes. "And since you're still technically in my care 'till then I'm going to escort you over."

"Worried we might get your order wrong Mal?" Chuck asked.

"Nah, the chief just likes to be careful. Can't say I blame him after what happened this afternoon. The SWAT guys didn't say much when they got back but from the sound of things there's something hinky going on. "

"Well I'm sure that nothing else bad could happen tonight. I'm sure my bad luck must have run out by now, " Chuck joked. "Well, I've filled out about a rainforest's worth of paperwork already, so let's get out of here."

0-0

Morgan's current recommendation lead the trio to an odd Mexican-Japanese fusion restaurant called "Hiro's Restaurante" whose owner took the "fusion" term quiet seriously. Various Mexican and Japanese paraphernalia covered the walls giving the place an unworldly look that just barely avoided becoming gaudy. It baffled Chuck to see good luck charms and samurai swords sitting beside luchador masks and a bullet hole riddled Mexican flag, but it did give the place a sense of character that just couldn't be emulated at any franchise chain. After ordering their food Mal excused himself to use the can while Chuck and Morgan waited at the bar, sitting as close to the washroom as possible. Despite their proximity to the men's room the intoxicating smells of the kitchen's cooking mixed in with the Japanese pop music had happily overpowered whatever horrific smells and sounds that were originating from the head and for that Chuck was eternally grateful.

Chuck checked his phone to see if Sarah or Casey had anything for him yet. Nothing, not even a text message. He hadn't changed his number in two years so it should be easy for either agent to get a hold of him. Then again, there was that briefing the agents had, one that didn't involve him for some reason. He hoped it was because of the boring preparation for his walk on role as the Intersect and not something sinister. His optimism had taken a beaten these last few days and Chuck couldn't keep a few paranoia fantasies from taken hold in his mind.

Thankfully Morgan came to rescue before the idea of wearing a tacky tinfoil hat started to look appealing. "Hey Chuck, is that Ultimia Phoenix's mask on the wall?!" Morgan exclaimed.

Looking up from his phone, Chuck followed his buddy's finger to a framed wrestler's mask sitting on the wall. The colours were fainter than he remembered seeing on TV but it indeed the red and yellow mask of the now retired Ultimia Phoenix. Looking closely he could faintly make out the stains the years of wear left on the mask. Chuck remembered watching the luchador matches with Morgan on the Spanish TV channel his buddy's house got and how much fun it was seeing the man do things Chuck never imagined the human body do in midair. For Morgan this was on par with finding the 1960's Batmobile parked in front of the local Subway.

"Dude, you got to snap a pic of me with it! My mom will flip when she see it!" Morgan exclaimed as he clambered off the stool to pose beside the mask. Chuck got off a few of shots with his phone and found that the lighting wasn't as bright as he originally thought. Turning the phone's camera flash on, he took one more shot before he remembered how poorly Morgan did with unexpected photo flashes. Just as he feared, Morgan panicked when he found himself temporarily blinded and darted to his left, slipping on a previously unnoticed puddle. Morgan's trajectory sent him flying right into the table nearby sending nachos and beer all of the table's occupants. Several of them shot to their feet and hurried ominously to the bathroom, probably worried about the salsa staining their clothes Chuck figured.

"Ah jeeze, sorry about that. My compadre forgot to..." Morgan started to apologize before the man closest to him stood up. Before him stood a bald man how just towered over Morgan and even caused Chuck to have to look up. Chuck took in his features: bald, sporting a beard and had more muscles than Chuck was comfortable seeing in someone as angry at Morgan as he was. Chuck was about to say something when he felt the niggling of an Intersect flash. Despite the situation Chuck's curiosity took over and let the flash occur. He got a few scraps of information about the man at first: he's a mercenary that had been involved with FULCRUM as well as some other shady outfits Chuck never heard of, he had a Texan accent, and had the nickname "Panzer" since fighting his was like getting ran over by a tank. He tried to will more information to come before the words "Error 7452: file not found" entered his vision and he found himself losing control of his legs.

Morgan cried in surprise upon seeing Chuck faceplant on the restaurant's floor. The man the Intersect identified as Panzer let out a harsh laugh as Chuck lay on the all too dirty floor, aware of everything happening but unable to move. "First time I ever laid a guy out without even touching him. Too bad I won't go so easy on you little man."

In a panic, a torrent of words gushed from Morgan's mouth. The words blurred into one incomprehensible sentence. "LookI'msorryaboutthemessI'llsososososorryohmannot theface!" he cried before adopting what Chuck previously dubbed "The Morgan" stance.

The sight of the cowering man had only caused one of the cruelest smiles Chuck ever seen to erupt upon Panzer's face. "Oh I'm not interested in your money little man, " he began. "I've been having a bad day and I've been waiting for some dumb bastard like you to do something stupid so I can open up a grade-A can of whoopass on them. Nothing pisses me off like a botched job and the fact that I had to sit here for 2 hours waiting for some sonnabitch that never showed, sipping piss poor beer while listening to this abortion that passes for music did nothing to better my mood. "

_A botched job_, Chuck wondered to himself. _Could he be involved with the attack from earlier?_

A crash came from the bar drawing Chuck's and Panzer's attention towards it. The bartender, a Japanese man by Chuck's guess, stood there looking indignant. "How dare you insult Risette's singing like that! She's got the voice of an angel!" he cried as his hand quickly darted behind the bar. Unfortunately Panzer was faster, his previously unseen knife almost seamlessly materializing in his hand.

"You better be reaching for some tequila mister or you'll be joining your tone deaf angels soon!" Panzer barked. The hand gripping the mean looking combat knife dangled by his side but the effect did more to put Chuck on edge than if he pointed at the barkeep. It was almost like Panzer had no doubt he'd be the one that came out on top if the bartender came up with something more threatening than a drink umbrella.

By now feeling was returning to Chuck's extremities and he quickly wiggled his fingers and toes to make sure he could move again. Forgotten by Panzer, he sat up and pulled his phone out. Morgan had entered Mal's phone number into his phone earlier and he quickly shot off a text message urging him to quickly make an appearance. For once the fates that oh so loved to torture Chuck Bartowski gave him a freebie and the door to the bathroom opened up revealing the deputy.

"Is there a problem gentleman?" Mal asked politely. Like a switch being flicked the hostility drained from Panzer and his stance became more relaxed. The knife he'd produced earlier had even disappeared to wherever he had secreted it earlier.

"Nothin' major officer. This dumb klutz, " Panzer said motioning to the still cowering Morgan, "managed to spill my beer all over me and I was just givin' him a piece of my mind."

"Is that so? Well, I could understand that making you upset but that doesn't explain how my friend here ended up on the ground, " Mal said evenly. You could practically here the scepticism missing from his voice.

"Hey, I didn't even touch the beanpole! One look from me and he just keeled over, " Panzer added defensively.

"Yeah, I just got lightheaded for a moment and I had to lie down for a moment. I'm not hurt by the way but I have the sneaking suspicion that Morgan wouldn't have been so lucky if you didn't show up Mal, " Chuck added.

"Hmmm... does anyone want to press any charges?" Mal asked.

"I don't want any trouble!" the bartender exclaimed and Morgan was still gathering his wits so he couldn't reply.

"I just want to get our food and go Mal. Like I said, nothing happened," Chuck said.

"Alright, well there is the case of the spilt beer but that can easily be remedied. The nachos are free here and my friend wouldn't mind buying you another drink, right Morgan?"

"S-sure thing Mal, " Morgan said quickly. Turning to Panzer, he stuffed a $10 bill in his hand and added, "Sorry about that mister, never been good with surprise flash photography."

Wordlessly Panzer took the bill and headed over to the bar, not even sparing them another look.

"I swear the arseholes seem to come out of the wood-works this time of year. If my shift wasn't almost done I'd be tempted to bust him for disturbing the peace or at least for violating my peace and quiet. Dang, I could hear him all the way in the can, " Mal griped.

"Forget it, " Chuck said quickly. "Guys like that aren't worth the trouble. Just be glad all he did was yell at us. " _That could have gone much much worse_, Chuck thought to himself. _If Mal tried to arrest Panzer..._ Chuck mentally shuddered just trying to imagine the aftermath of that worst case scenario.

"Order 53 is up!" came a voice from the kitchen.

"That's us guys. Let's just grab the grub and head back to my place, " Morgan said.

"Sounds like a plan buddy. I think I've had my fill of excitement for today, " Chuck added. Mentally he added, _I don't think I have it in me to handle any more surprises. I don't know how Sarah manages it all the time._

0-0

If Chuck could ask her, Sarah would say she was handling the latest set of surprises rather terribly, not that she'd admit it. The briefing she just came from left a bitter taste in her mouth. This time Chuck's dad sat in on the meeting using his Orion voice and face modulation to protect his identity and he didn't have much good news to share. Since Chuck had been uploaded with the newer version of the Intersect, the uninstall program used to remove the previous Intersect wouldn't work. He said it had something to do with how the framework was structured differently in version 2 so getting Chuck de- Intersect this time wouldn't be so easy.

Orion did quickly add that didn't mean that there wasn't another way to get rid of the sensitive intel in his head. It would take time but he was confident that working with the surviving development teams they could find a way to overwrite the information with useless data or at least corrupt the intel without giving Chuck brain damage. That satisfied the higher ups enough to make risking a sanctioned hit look less feasible but still Sarah was nervous. There were too many "maybes" and nothing concrete in terms of what they could do for her beloved nerd.

The setup for this operation gave her mixed feelings as well. Casey had thankfully been given command over their hastily put together team due to his seniority and experience working with an Intersect host giving him the edge over Shaw. Shaw would be responsible for following up on any leads that were discovered as well providing support for Sarah, although she had the sneaking suspicion that include surveillance of Chuck and by extension herself, which made her uneasy. Agent Black would be coordinating the efforts between Orion and the other development teams when she isn't assisting Chuck and Sarah with analyzing camera footage and whatever intel they manage to dig up. She wasn't thrilled with the woman being in close proximity to Chuck for long stretches of time but at least Sarah consoled herself with the fact that she could keep an eye on her in case she turned out to be more treasonous than Chuck hoped she'd be. Her suspicions had nothing to do with the desk jockey being a smart and oh so pretty brunette, or so she told herself.

Sarah once again would be acting as bodyguard to Chuck and would be responsible for ferrying him to the facility as needed. As for her cover, Director Mason simply told her to use any means necessary to insert herself into Chuck's life again. Happily, this ambiguous wording would possibly allow her some wiggle room in case their relationship did become known. Since Chuck wasn't an asset, technically Director Mason couldn't discipline her and General Beckman had to bow to the Director's decision since this was a joint operation and not a NSA dominated one like Operation Bartowski became after Director Graham's passing.

Despite the promise the General gave to Chuck earlier about preserving his privacy the idea of planting cameras and bugs in Morgan's apartment was brought up before Sarah successfully vetoed it. She successfully convinced them that the surveillance equipment would most likely be discovered since Anna Wu was both tech savvy and paranoid enough to scan for bugs competently. She had been working with Jeff and Lester for a few years and after Jason Wong's criminal involvement and later his mysterious disappearance from custody became public Anna had added "scanning for bugs" to her daily to-do list. This tidbit came to Sarah when Anna asked her if her ex "Bruce" became a creeper and if she knew of any good spy shops. That, along with the fact that she was the daughter of one of their ambassador helped shut that line of thought down. It was a good thing too; Sarah hated the idea of Shaw eyeing her in her sleep in case she looked like she was subconsciously compromised or some other plausible sounding gibberish. She trusted him as far as she could throw Casey.

Putting aside whatever misgivings she had about the mission, Sarah decided instead to focus on the mission at hand and mentally made a checklist for herself about how she'd go about re-inserting herself back into Chuck's life "officially". First, there's the matter of her appearance. She'd obviously need to dye her hair back to her natural blond and get rid of all traces of the fake freckles that currently dotted her face. Clothing and toiletries wasn't going to be a problem since she was supposed to be travelling light and of course it would be "good for the cover" if Chuck took her shopping later.

The only thing left was a plausible reason for her being there. She racked her brains for an explanation when she remembered that Facebook website the vapid housewives kept talking about at the party two days ago. Chuck had made an account for her before she left so that she could follow along with whatever he'd been up to. Sarah was originally apprehensive about Chuck having an online presence but now was grateful for it. After logging on with her battle damaged netbook, she found his account and noticed his last update had him vacationing in the island with his friends. "_Perfect!" _she thought to herself. She could say that she found an internet cafe on her way to the airport, got the info from Facebook and decided to join her sweetie for a long overdue holiday. A simple but very plausible explanation, the best kind there was. Now to lay the groundwork.

First, she needed Morgan's address and phone number since Chuck's phone was currently out of service. Ellie would know it, Chuck wouldn't dare leave without giving her some way to contact him, plus it would be best if she contacted Ellie first. Sarah got along well with Chuck's sister and she didn't want to make her feel more out of the loop with Chuck's than she did during Operation Bartowski.

Dialling the number she knew by heart, she waited a couple of rings for Ellie to pick up before saying, "Hi Ellie, sorry I haven't called earlier. You won't believe how hectic things had become over here." In an instance she yanked the phone away from her head just in time to avoid becoming deaf from Ellie's cries of joys.

As she predicted, Ellie hit her with a deluge of question. "Sarah! Wow, how've been? We haven't heard from you in ages! How's things over there, did something bad happen?"

Much to her credit, Sarah took Ellie's overprotective nature in stride as she fielded her numerous questions. Thankfully any questions about her time overseas where general and Ellie took her explanations about her longer stint without question. Sarah let her bring her up to date about married life and what Chuck been up to before broaching the topic about her change in travel plans.

"Say Ellie, do you have Morgan's phone number over in Hawaii?" Sarah asked innocently. "I'm trying to call Chuck but I keep getting sent to voice mail."

"Looks like Chuck forgot to charge his phone again. For the biggest tech geek I've ever met he's pretty forgetful about doing that," Ellie mused.

Sarah chuckled. "I think the term you were looking for was 'nerd', not 'geek'. "

"You obviously have been around my brother too long," Ellie said jokingly. In the background Sarah could hear her rummaging through a drawer. "Here we are, just had to find that note Chuck left me. That's sweet that you're calling him now, he's been missing you terrible this past year and I'm sure he could use a happy surprise right now."

"What do you mean, did something happen to Chuck?" Sarah asked more harshly than she meant to. Did Casey's decision to rely on the cops in the interim put Chuck at risk?

"Chuck's fine, well he is now, but you see Sarah..." Ellie began before launching into the abridged version of the incident at Montebloom manor. Sarah listened intently despite experiencing it firsthand, making the appropriate disbelieving noises while keeping track of what Chuck told her. She was relieved that this was only relatively old news and that there wasn't anything revealed that might link her to the redheaded writer that hid from the pirates with Chuck and friends.

At the end of the recap, Sarah said, "Poor Chuck, I bet he must be a nervous wreck after that. Looks like I'll have to try to work extra hard to cheer him up when I stop by."

"You're planning to visit Chuck? That's so sweet of you! In that case I wouldn't worry about cheering him up. He lights up like Times Square during New Years whenever he sees you. Let me give you Morgan's information before I forget."

Sarah thanked her and hung up soon after. She enjoyed chatting with Ellie but she equally wanted to get in touch with Chuck ASAP, if nothing else but to make sure he was alright. She dialled in Morgan's number and braced for the worst. After the third ring the shorter man picked up.

"Hello?" Morgan asked uncertainly. Sarah was using a burner so the caller display showed an unfamiliar number to him.

"Hello Morgan, this is Sarah, " she said trying her best to sound cheerful. She could hear video gamey sounds in the background along with several voices. "Is Chuck with you? I tried reaching his cell phone for the past hour and I wasn't getting throug1 h."

"Holy cow, Sarah hi. Wow, talk about good timing, Chuck just got back from can. Let me put him on for you, " Morgan said before quickly saying to someone (probably Chuck) "Hey, surprise caller for you. Looks like your cell's dead again." She could hear something being rubbed against the receiver and then the sound of the cell phone bouncing off something came through followed by some light cursing. It didn't take a genius to realize that somebody had a case of the butterfingers over there.

A moment later, Chuck's distinct voice came through the phone's speaker. "Hi, who is this? Wait, don't say it yet let me guess. Devon, is that you?"

"Sorry Chuck, it's just me, " came Sarah's reply.

"Sarah! No wonder Morgan was being secretive, how're doing?!"

"Better now I'm hearing your voice, " Sarah admitted. "Do you mind if you move to a quieter spot? I don't want to shout over whatever video game you guys are playing over there."

"Yeah, sure. Just give me a sec." A few moments later Chuck spoke into the phone, "Better?"

"Much. So, here's what's happening. Casey I'm going to be coming by the apartment tomorrow around 10:00 to take you to the station. Since we're supposed to go on vacation I'll take you out to dinner after courtesy of the Agency. I know you'd want to pick me up but it'll be too much of a hassle trying to fake an aircraft arrival onto the island."

"Makes sense. If Anna or Morgan asks I'll tell them you insisted after I told you about the traffic this time of year. Are you getting a car or a cab?" Chuck asked. He wasn't always keen on the deception but he liked to keep abreast of the details.

"The agency is giving me a car while we're here. With my luck Tang will end up giving me a crappy Smart car with 3 wheels missing, " Sarah said ruefully.

Chuck hummed to himself. "Hmmm... Harry's managing the station? Man, I feel for you, I really do. Give the man a bit of power and he thinks he's Emperor Palpatine. If he starts to get on your case just tell him 'Chuck told me about the Drumstick incident' and he'll back off. You see, there's three ways to deal with Harry: bribery, boot licking and blackmail. Since Harry was well being Harry with you, option 3 probably works best. I'll see if I can worm some more juicy details out of Morgan and Anna tonight for you."

Sarah was impressed with Chuck's idea. Both of his friends' contempt for Tang that was only dwarfed by their mutual hatred for Emmett Millbarg and would be a goldmine for incriminating details. "And you say you're not cut out for spycraft. I'll call you tomorrow before I come by. I'll leave it up to you to find us a good spot for dinner tomorrow."

"Awesome, I got the place in mind. You'll love it," Chuck said enthusiastically.

"Sounds good, I'll call before I come by. Love you, " Sarah said.

"Love you too, " Chuck gasped out. To hear her say those two words so easily was a shock considering the fact that she was always so guarded. "Oh one more thing before you go, I got a picture you might be interested in. I'll text it to this phone number."

"Okay. Good night Chuck."

"Night Sarah, " Chuck said grinning into the phone. His lady was officially back and he didn't have to worry about Casey or any other suits peeping on them. He didn't feel this excited since he was 11 and he got his treasured Super Nintendo for his birthday. Well, at least he had some good friends to share the good news with. Plugging in his phone, he quickly shot off the text message before heading for the door. "Hey guys, I have good news!" he shouted to his friends in the den as he stepped out of the bedroom.

Sarah sat there starring at her phone, wondering what could be so important that Chuck couldn't wait until tomorrow for. After a minute her vigil was rewarded with the phone chiming and she flipped open the phone. There was a picture and a message saying "Baldy in pic is FULCRUM, called Panzer. Flashed on him but incomplete, tell u about it tomorrow." Sarah was mystified about what he meant about the "incomplete flash" but decided to look at the picture. It was a shot of Morgan posing in front some Mexican wrestling mask and the occupants of the table beside him was visible. The man closer to Morgan was the bald man Chuck's message was talking about but the other man sitting at the other table was what caught her attention. It was Ryan Anderson sitting there trying his best to look inconspicuously and succeeding for the most part. "Looks like the games afoot," she muttered to herself as she dashed to find Casey. Chuck just handed them their first lead and he wasn't even on the clock yet.

A/N: FYI, "get your goat" is a real term that means to get annoyed or angry. It's old as dirt but Morgan likes to dust off the oldies once in a while.

Guest starring "Stone Cold" Steve Austin as Panzer.

Reviews as always welcome and so are criticisms.


	15. Chapter 15

A/N: Hello everyone, apologizes to you all that waited months for an update. Between life, looking for work and a case of writer's block, I haven't had much time to write for awhile and I hope to remedy that soon. If I find that I simply won't be able to finish this story I'll at least release a simple overview of how I wanted this story to go. I didn't realize when I started out just how taxing writing can be and I think in my inexperienced hands this story has grown more in scope than I can sustain.

Chapter 15

For Chuck the morning couldn't have come quickly enough. He'd managed to squeeze in a few hours of sleep despite the excitement and the untold quantity of Coke he downed last night. The anticipation was so thick that he could practically taste it, or was that his breakfast threatening to come back up? The thought of his lovely lady officially coming back had occupied his thoughts so thoroughly that Anna could have fed him some ancient floppies and he wouldn't have noticed.

Ah breakfast, now that was an interesting experience. Chuck's preoccupations with one Sarah Walker had pushed all other thoughts out of his head including Morgan's warning about his friends' morning ritual. Chuck obviously freaked out at the sight of the two of them doing butterfly crunch in their birthday suits.

"Jeez Chuck, your scream like that redhead I drop kicked last August, " Anna muttered as she tried to get the ringing out of her ears. "What happened, did you see a rat or something?"

"I hope not. Remember the great rat hunt of '98 Chuck? I still get the chills just thinking of that nest they found in your bedroom wall, " Morgan said.

The last exchange was lost on Chuck however. Several strained noises emitted from his throat until he could properly form his thoughts into words. "You guys don't have your clothes on. Why are there no clothes? Did I step into some bizarre alternate world where clothing wasn't invented?"

Morgan shrugged. "Well you can't say I didn't warn you Chuck, although I did think you'd handle it with a bit more dignity than pulling a Black Canary on us."

"Well, we're about done the exercises and your girlish shrieks are giving me an appetite. You guys up for some breakfast?" Anna asked.

"Sure, but could you, you know..." Chuck began.

"Oh right, the legendary Bartowski modesty. Alright, we'll get dressed but only cause it's you man, "Morgan said as he bent over to pick up something from the couch. Chuck's attention was immediately drawn to the intricate patterns in the ceiling as Anna's laughter filled the air. A second later, a purple robe came sailing over Chuck's head and Anna effortlessly caught it one handed. A stomach growl drew Chuck's attention back to Morgan, now clothed, waving him over to the kitchen. He was decked out in a matching pinkish robe (although he kept insisting it was salmon, NOT pink). "I'll get started on some omelets, my treat, " he insisted as he herded the others to the table.

"Wait a minute, did you say you drop kicked someone?" Chuck asked as they headed to the kitchen, desperate to keep his mind occupied from this awkward situation.

"Yup, but she had it coming, " Anna replied. "Some trashy looking redhead was putting the moves on Morgie so I got up in her face. She tried to play tough and made like she was going to pull something from her crappy knockoff purse so I let her have it. Heh, you should have seen the look her face right before I laid her out, didn't even see it coming." She beamed at that last statement. Taking overgrown spoiled rich brats down a peg was one of her favourite hobbies.

"I still think you were went an bit far that time sweetie, " Morgan called over from the counter. "I thought she was just being friendly."

Anna shook her head. "Oh Morgan, you really thought that, didn't you? Didn't you think it was weird how long she took to pick up a napkin?"

"I thought she just had bad eyesight."

Chuck shook his head at the revelation. Not that he was worried that Anna might of gotten shot, not if his suspicions were correct, but Chuck had the sneaking suspicion that the potential Morgan-stealer was a particular DEA agent he encountered in the past. If his guess was correct, things would definitely get interesting in the future the next time Carina dropped in on Sarah and himself. Hopefully that would be far enough into the future that she'd forgotten about the time "Martin's" jealous girlfriend got in a "lucky" shot and left footprints all over her face. That was one conversation he definitely wasn't looking forwards to.

Anna continued. "Hmm... come to think of think of it... nah, she didn't really sound like you before. She sounded more like that cat Jeff tried to use as a pillow during the Christmas party 3 years back."

"Well that's a relief. I think my pride might make a recovery, " Chuck replied dryly.

At that moment, the doorbell was heard and like a shot Chuck was on his feet and stampeding towards the front door. With sweaty hands, he grabbed the handle and wretched the door with more strength than he knew he had. A tiny part of him scolded himself for not checking the peephole first for bad guys but that thought slipped right out of his head as he was confronted with visions of a blonde angel.

Sarah stood before him looking amazing in her cargo shorts and a blue blouse, a simple yet splendid look on her. The morning breeze played amongst her once again blonde hair, giving her that windswept look he'd always imagined whenever she made her way towards the lowly Nerd Herder desk.

With a goofy grin plastered across his face, he went forwards and gave her the welcome he sorely wanted to give her yesterday as his lips were drawn to hers. The kiss lasted a full minute but as far as Chuck was concerned it could have lasted forever. He couldn't read Sarah's face to gauge his reaction but the "Mmmmm, " that escaped from her throat said it all. A moment later, Sarah broke the lip lock and rested her forehead against his.

"Hey," was all he could muster at the moment.

"Hey, " Sarah replied. "I missed you too, but I thought you told me once were adverse to PDA."

Spinning around, he caught sight of their little robe clad audience.

"Hi Sarah, you get in okay?" Morgan asked jovially.

"I think she was more concerned with getting off right now baby," Anna joked, punctuated by a startled cry from Chuck and a chuckle from Morgan. "But let's move on before Chuck's face goes fire truck red. So, welcome to paradise Saint Sarah. Cured any lepers on the way over?"

"No but I did make a blind man see for the first time, " Sarah answered straight-faced before a rogue smile broke out.

"Couldn't pick a lovelier vision for a first sight, " Chuck chimed in as he slung an arm around her shoulder.

"Seriously though, I didn't have to deal with lepers on this trip. It was mainly malaria we dealt with, nothing that grotesque, " Sarah said nonchalantly.

"That's a relief, I'd be afraid my breakfast wouldn't stay down if it were, " Morgan added in. A quizzical look from Anna stopped him from going further, much to Chuck's relief. Instead, he asked, "So lovebirds, anything special you guys want to do, well aside from the obvious conjugal visit?"

Sarah shrugged as Chuck's face ran flush with embarrassment. "I'm not exactly familiar with the island but I won't mind going sightseeing. From what Ellie told me there's not a lack of places to explore around here."

"Hate to say it but it'll just be you and Chuck today. I got to work on the bitchin' fireworks display for the Festival coming up and Morgie volunteered to help out, " Anna said. "It's still early but I got the feeling it's going to top the Buymore Blowout but a mile."

A faked look of confusion from Sarah prompted Chuck to explain, "When we quit the Buymore Anna put together quite a show. It's up on YouTube still so we can check it out later."

"And that's just a taste of what my Banana-Rama got in stored!" Morgan exclaimed. "You should see what she got planned, it'll be her biggest masterpiece to date! A true testament to the majesty of explosions."

"Sounds like something right up Casey's lane, eh Sarah?" Chuck whispered. Out loud, he said to the others, "I forgot that you had that coming up. With all of the excitement these past few days it completely slipped my mind. Too bad, I was hoping we could try going zip-lining again you know without all of the drama."

"Right, drama, " Anna added unenthusiastically. "Maybe in a few days when the tourist stuff died down. "

"I'm holding you to that, " Chuck said playfully. "Hey Sarah, ever gone zip-lining before?"

"Once, in Budapest, " She replied cryptically.

"Funny, I didn't figure you for the adventuresome type Sarah, " Morgan said.

"She's gutsier than she looks buddy, " Chuck answered.

_ Really gusty, _he quietly added to himself. That flash he experienced at the mention of "zip-lining" and "Montana" filled him with the knowledge of a strange mission Sarah carried out that involved a break into a mansion to steal information and stage it to look like a jewel heist. Things got surreal when she was forced to sneak out dressed up as an obscure cartoon character named Shemp the Wonder Whale and the guard dogs decided to get frisky when she got to the gates. He'd have to ask her about that when they had time alone.

"I feel bad that we haven't gotten a chance to hang out this trip, how about we meet up for dinner later?" Chuck asked.

"Oh, we check out that sushi place Mal told me about. You'll love it Sarah, they have 50 different types of sashimi and it's all-you-can-eat, " Morgan said.

"Ooh that sounds amazing, " Sarah said earnestly. Despite the luxurious surroundings her last mission provided the food left something to be desired. "What time do you think you'll be free around?"

"Let me see..." Anna trailed off while she calculated the time involved. "We should be free around 7:00, "

"Perfect, see you guys then. Ready to go Sarah?"

"Uh Chuck you might want to, you know..." Sarah said as her eyes travelled downwards to take in Chuck's boxer and socks ensemble.

"Oops, forgot about that one little detail. Back in a flash!" Chuck said as he stole a quick kiss from Sarah and dashed out the door.

"That's a first, Chuck forgetting about clothes. You'd think a lifetime of living with Ellie would have made avoid dying of embarrassment the number 1 priority, " Morgan said as he pushed a fresh cup of coffee towards Sarah. Much to her surprise its contents was actually good and not that instant made sludge she'd expect from the former retail stiff.

"He's not the only one it looks like. Did I catch you guys coming out of the shower?" Sarah asked innocently, too late figuring what she just walked into. A big ol' grin stretched across Anna's face before she launched into the joys of naked Thai Chi.

0-0

Casey and Black sat around the monitoring stations as the op was underway. The Director decided to go forward without waiting for Bartowski and Walker, deeming time to be the essence. Casey would have preferred waiting for the Intersect on hand but they did have a strict timeline. Shaw discovered that the cargo ship Montebloom mentioned in his surveillance had arrived not long ago and even with the Customs guys slowing things up for the crew they still had a small window of opportunity before their anorexic lead disappeared.

"So, why are we planning on breaking into this boat again Colonel?" Agent Black asked. "From what we've gathered this Anderson guy is smuggling in something nasty so why don't we alert Customs or the Coast Guard and let them take care of this?"

Casey, staying true to form, replied with a grunt. Did she think they'd leave it up to those clowns to get within spitting distance of the Intersect project? Before he could reply Agent Shaw's voice came over the comm system.

"The intel Walker and myself gathered on Montebloom's and Anderson's activities was done as part of a covert operation and was not condoned by any law enforcement agencies," he offered.

Black groaned. "Are you telling me you were running an op on American soil when you learned about this ship? Lovely. I always wanted to know what the inside of a prison looked like."

"Cut the chatter, " Casey snapped. "Shaw, what's the situation?"

"I am checking the cargo now, " he whispered back. "So far I have encountered nothing but sports paraphernalia but I do have a sneaking suspicion about one of the cargo holds. It appears to be shallower than the outside dimensions would suggest."

"They walled off a section of the hold? I can't believe they'd think that would work. Any sniffer dog would find it in no time!" Black exclaimed.

"I believe they used more than plaster to seal off this section Agent Black. The walls feel sturdy enough to stand up to quick scrutiny."

"So it looks like you can't just kick a hole in the damn thing. Report in when you found the entrance. If they can get in and out you can too, " Casey said.

"Roger that."

A moment later, the doors to their temporary command center opened as Chuck and Sarah strode in.

"You're late, " Casey said as he remained glued to his console.

"Sorry about that Colonel. The highway seemed to move at a crawl, " Sarah offered.

"First timer's mistake, " Jordan added. "Never take the highway during rush hour. I'll give directions later if you'd like."

"Thank you, that would be a major help," Sarah replied dumbly, unsure what else to say. The office drone's helpfulness was a major contrast to the competitive nature of the female field operatives she'd encountered in the past, and the effect was off-putting for her. Instead of continuing with Jordan, she turned to Casey. "So, what's the situation Colonel?"

The sound of grunt #31 reached Chuck's ears, the skeptical one. He guessed Casey wasn't used to her using his rank. The necessary level of professionalism they'd need for working with these newcomers was a change of pace, not that old sugar bear would mind."Well Walker, we're going forwards with infiltrating the boat like we discussed earlier. Agent Shaw is our man in the field on this one, so we're waiting for him to check in."

"Did he get stuck in traffic too?" Chuck asked politely.

"No mor..." Casey started before catching himself from uttering his favourite call-sign for the nerd. "Mr. Bartowski he's on the scene right now. One of the containers might have a hidden compartment so he's looking for the entrance right now. "

"So what's my role in all this Colonel?" Chuck asked.

"You and Walker are going to stay glued to the video feed once Shaw gets it up and running. We're not sure what we're going to find so we need you to gather everything Shaw sees and hopefully we get a Flash. You so much as blink I'll make sure you can kiss your bonus goodbye."

"Didn't know there even was a bonus," Chuck muttered to himself as he took a seat beside Sarah.

The next 40 minutes was the sort of mind numbing boring that almost made Chuck nostalgic for The Cage. Working on inhumanly savaged computers beat the soul crushing drudgery of staring at a static monitor any day of the week. Sarah, who was never a fan of sitting on her hands, looked like she was ready to bolt at any minute. The only saving grace was those brief moments when Casey wandered off to bother Jordan about the data feeds and they could get away with playing footsies under the table. Sarah had just slipped her sandals back on after one such session when Shaw's voice crackled over the feed.

"The container must be interfering with the signal, " Chuck mused to himself as the monitor flared to life. The picture itself was cast in the lime green colour which suggested that it was recorded on a night vision camera.

"I'm in Colonel, " Shaw plainly stated. "The locking mechanism turned out to be very simple, perfect for avoiding attention. I am going to radio silence for now but if our contractor notices something let me know."

Shaw began his tour of the hidden compartment in a methodical manner. Chuck was impressed that he managed to avoid making the experience a rehash of the time he saw Cloverfield in theatres. Shaky-cam work always made him queasy and much harder to keep track of details, so it was fortunate that the older agent didn't rush the experience. Several crates had been placed around the container, but not as many as there should to justify all of that space, or at least in Chuck's opinion, and there seemed to be various bits of clothing strewn across the floor. Working almost at a whisper Shaw pried them open each container, each time finding nothing but soccer shirts for teams Chuck never bothered to find out about. Much to everyone's dismay each time Casey's anger seemed to increase tenfold.

"At this rate he'd need to level an entire building to calm down, " Sarah whispered to the others without a trace of humour. As Shaw turned away from the last crate Chuck noticed something poke out of the pile of pants, something boxy. Notifying Shaw about the discovery, Chuck edged closer to see what it was. As Shaw brought the object into focus, a gasp escaped from Jordan's mouth and Sarah's Agent Face came out in full force. Even Casey was oddly subdued when the device was presented. In an instance Chuck recognized the thing as being a Geiger Counter, not from a Flash but from his past. He recognized it from played the Fallout video games when he was younger and he'd have his character use a similar looking device to avoid heavily irradiated areas. So if they found a Geiger Counter, that means radiation and that would mean... Oh he couldn't bring himself to finish the thought.

Breaking the spell, Casey spoke up. "Shaw, is that thing working?"

Without answering Shaw manipulated the controls on the counter. "Affirmative Colonel and there is some radiation detected. Not enough to be harmful but higher than I would like."

"That's enough Agent. Leave the Counter and make an anonymous tip to the cops before returning to base. Hate to say it but we have to rely on the locals to secure the site. We just don't have the manpower to sew this up ourselves, " Casey reluctantly admitted.

"Understood. Over and out."

Chuck looked to Casey, who wore a look he couldn't recognize. The bigger man shot to his feet and started barking out orders. "Walker, I'll get in touch with the bosses ASAP. Black, hunt Tang down and tell him we're on Cyan Alert now. If he gives you any guff tell him I will personally come over there and turn him into a walking Picasso painting, got it? Somebody went to a lot of trouble to smuggle a nuke or the materials that can be used to make one. I don't have time for his small-man crap!"

"So what should I do now?" Chuck asked hesitantly. Casey seemed to have a shorter fuse than usual and he was worried he might get a knuckle sandwich, the worst kind there is. Well, next to the Limburger and sauerkraut one that became the new "Chuck" sandwich after he broke up with Lou.

Casey stopped for a moment to think. "Review the feeds we pulled from the research facility. If you flash write down the time on the footage and whatever pop up. We'll follow up with it later."

"Wait, just wait a minute! Are we just giving up on those guys that walked off with the Interest build?" Chuck asked.

"Got no choice. People only smuggle nukes IN to the country if they plan to set it off, and that takes priority over everything else, even the Intersect. We turn a blind eye to this, everyone on this island goes up in smoke, that's including that overgrown gopher you call a friend and Walker. "

"Casey, shouldn't I be... I mean shouldn't the Interest be put to better use then? I should be helping on this."

"You are by staying out of the way for now, " Casey replied. Just as Chuck opened his mouth to give his two cents Casey snapped, "No argument Bartowski. Dismissed!"

A cold feeling crawled up Chuck's back as Casey stormed out of the room. Something seemed off to Casey, something that made him uneasy. Was Mr. I'd-eat-Rambo-for-breakfast ... scared?

A/N: I'm not bashed on Carina but sometimes I get the feeling she needs to be brought down a peg or three.


	16. Chapter 16

A/N: Thanks to everyone that left a review and/or decided to follow my humble story. I think we beat my record for follows made per chapter. Thanks goes out to **jaytoyz** for beta-ing this bad boy.

Chapter 16

As if a switch was flicked their impromptu Command Centre went from deadly still to a packed house. Personnel that Chuck had never seen before seemed to flood into the previously empty offices, creating a deluge of frantic activity and too-professional sounding voices. From what Agent Black hastily explained, the bosses had decided that they'd need to co-ordinate with various law-enforcement agencies in order to find the nuclear material quickly without drawing attention too much attention to their clandestine operations in the area. There simply wasn't enough time to gather a sizable enough task force from the combined pool CIA and NSA personnel to handle this in-house, and the locals had the inside scoop on the terrain. Casey was skeptical at first but when Shaw brought up the point that it was either that or relying on Harry Tang's knowledge of the region he immediately conceded. He'd take that hardass Payton over that weasel any day of the week

In order to get co-operation they'd need, a plausible trail of evidence needed to be fabricated, thus the reason why Chuck was busy doctoring emails. The idea was that the NSA would claim to have decrypted encoded emails from a laptop, seized during a CIA op, which would basically say that a deal on weapons grade plutonium would be going down on the island. Sarah had already written the correspondence between "blueBeetle52" and "numaN00ma_04" to make the messages seem like they came from experienced operators, before handing it off to Chuck. His job was to make the emails look like they were sent weeks ago and to do that, he had to encrypt the emails to give them that authentic look and feel, just in case The FBI or Homeland Security wanted a look.

It was odd for him to be given that much responsibility considering how much Casey and Sarah had underestimated his abilities in the past. It felt good to be treated as an equal for once, even if it was to convince Shaw and Black that he had been a genuine member of the team in the past and was not the asset.

A few hours later, with the locals on the job, Casey called another meeting. Chuck sat in his customary spot beside Sarah as he tried to gauge the mood of the others gathered in the room. Shaw was as unreadable as always while Casey had regained some of his usual belligerence. The only one to look shaken about all this was Jordan and she looked like she was going to drop from the stress.

"Alright, here's what's going on, "Casey began without introduction. "We got the locals on the case but the bosses want us to follow up some leads on our own. "

"You are referring to Mr. Montebloom, correct Colonel?" Shaw added.

"Right on target agent. The man obviously knows something about this Anderson puke but we can't exactly tell the K.P.D. about his involvement without revealing those mor..." Casey caught himself but saying instead, "those in charge at the CIA have been running ops on US soil without sanction."

"Can't have people complaining about Big Brother, right Colonel?" Chuck chimed in, earning him a nudge to the ribs from Sarah.

Casey fixed him with a number three death stare but didn't bother to reply. He continued, "So the current plan is that Agent Shaw and myself will carry out an interrogation on Montebloom with Agent Black running support."

Sarah, realizing that she was being sidelined spoke up. "Colonel, I would like to suggest that I accompany Agent Shaw on this mission. I already have a working knowledge of the grounds and Montebloom has shown an interest in me. My presence in the Manor would raise fewer questions than yours would Colonel."

Casey pursed his lips, obviously considering the suggestion before replying. For a moment Chuck thought he was going to bite her head off but instead his discipline shone through. "I thought about that Walker and I concluded that your experience with Intersect Hosts would be far more valuable in this case. I'm going to have Bartowksi go over everything you pulled from Montebloom's computers over the past few weeks and he's going to need your help separating the wheat from the chaff. He didn't receive any of the suggested training for becoming an Intersect Host so he's going to need help dealing with false leads as well any symptoms that might accompany the constant Flashing. He's useless to us if he burns out."

Sarah frowned to herself for a moment, mulling over the hidden wisdom in Casey's words. Chuck had mentioned the odd blackout to her in the car and it had worried her to no end. There wasn't a record of anyone surviving an Intersect upload with corrupted code and once again Chuck was trailblazing unknown territory. Without any established protocol there was a damn good chance that an overzealous or inexperienced handler could accidentally overexert Chuck and put his mind at risk.

"Besides, "Casey added. "This won't be an undercover op. The bosses want this contained ASAP, so we got the go ahead to snatch Montebloom and squeeze him for all he's got."

"And they'll disavow knowledge of this op if word gets out, right?" Jordan asked.

"Would make sense they take the _Mission Impossible_ route. I think this might be a tad on the illegal side," Chuck added.

"You're right Chuck, and that's what makes me nervous. Things could easily go wrong and we could all be left out to dry. Why are we even considering doing this? We could have easily passed along to the police that Mr. Montebloom had a hand smuggling the radioactive material onto the island and kept things well within the law," Jordan theorized, looking around for more support.

Casey snorted. "And leave the job to those morons in blue to bungle? Not even an option. Besides, there's some interrogation tactics that they wouldn't have the balls to carry out."

"Torture, you're talking about torture aren't you, "Chuck managed to chock out. One look at Chuck's face was enough to cause Sarah's stomach to flip flop. Chuck had made it no secret that one of the reasons he hated the spy life was the cruelty that the higher ups usually deemed necessary to gather intelligence, and Sarah couldn't fault him for it. The information was usually garbage and the work would cause the nightmares to appear without fail. She'd never told anyone but the handful of torture sessions she'd been involved in had always caused bouts of insomnia and once drove her to a 5 day drinking binge. She'd never admitted it out of fear that she'd be deemed unfit for duty and Graham would withdraw whatever protection he extended to her father in prison. It had the added benefit of contributing to the Ice Queen persona Graham had crafted for her but in hindsight she'd wondered if it was worth it.

To her surprise she felt Chuck's warm hand fill her own under the table. For a moment she thought it was an attempt to calm him but the small squeeze he gave her said the reverse was true. In actuality, that one little silent act spoke volumes. It spoke of Chuck's desire to comfort her... which meant that he was able to get a read on her mood despite her wearing her usual detached facade. That concept should have made her uneasy, make her doubt her finely honed skills, but instead she was devoid of those treacherous doubts. Actually, she was glad to have the comfort. The whole experience had lasted just a few seconds but it seemed to make the situation a little less terrible.

Finding her voice, Sarah added, "We should probably consider that a last resort in this situation. The Agency already has a black eye over what happened to Chuck's brother-in-law and we cannot afford another public investigation. Mr. Montebloom has been rather visible as of late so people will get curious if he were to disappear for long," Sensing Casey's lack of scepticism she pushed on. "Besides, I doubt that physically intensive interrogation would be necessary. His profile says that he doesn't have experience with interrogation so he shouldn't be hard to intimidate. From my experience we should be able to strik a deal with him. The man is pragmatic to a fault."

"So you recommend we hit him in the wallet, right Walker?" Shaw asked. "That might work. He has been showing signs of narcissism and as training suggests narcissistic type personalities are more likely to want to make a deal," Turning to Chuck he explained, "You see Mr. Bartowski, people like that loath to give up control over aspects of their lives and will do anything to retain even a fraction of control over their situation. The instinct to bargain is stronger in them compared to say a religious zealot or a trained operative."

"Oh, well that seems to make some sense I guess. Never did think about that," Chuck said.

"Alright, you've lot have convince me that that we hold off on the aggressive interrogation. Worst comes to worst we can convince him it's a nuke we're dealing with and is set to blow. You'd be surprised how badly people want to avoid becoming radioactive ash," Casey quipped in his usual sensitive manner. "Black, since you've already in contact with the local PD you'll liaison with them them. If they stumble over any leads I want to be the first to hear it. If I'm on radio silence that means I'm still out in the field with Agent Shaw and you should contact Agent Walker. "

Turing to Shaw, Casey said, "We're on the road in an hour. Make sure the gear is gathered by then. I'll look into seeing if there's someone that can run support for this mission."

"You need me to come along, Casey? I am a pretty good hacker, if I do say so myself," Chuck offered, stretching his arms out and cracking his knuckles dramatically while glancing towards Sarah.

"Not going to happen. You got at least a billion dollars worth of intel in your head making you too valuable to risk. Things are messy right now and we can't guarantee that the Intersect will be safe. Like I said, you'd be put to better use here. Now if there's no other questions I got a division director to butt heads with," Casey said as he hurried out the door. Protocol looked to be the last thing on the perpetually angry man's mind and Chuck couldn't fault him. Harry Tang could give a mole a run for its money when it came to short-sightedness.

Chuck was about to follow Sarah out the door when Shaw called out to him. "You have a moment Mr. Bartowski? I know we have duties to attend to so this will not take long?"

The man, usually stoic to the point of blandness, looked uncomfortable with this request and that got Chuck's attention. "Sure Daniel. What can I help you with?"

"What I am about to ask you involves retrieving information from the Intersect but this is not an official request. In fact the possibility of my dismissal would be certain if anyone were to find out that I was digging around old files."

Chuck's eyes narrowed suspiciously. "I don't know if I can do that Daniel, there is so much, well, _scary_ stuff up there. I need to know what you want before I can even consider trying."

Shaw sighed, looking more tired than he appeared to be moments earlier. "I understand your reluctance to share anything with me Mr. Bartowski but I assure you this is won't affect anyone's safety. This is purely a personal request. "

Shaw's eyes were cast downward, his discomfort increasing immensely. "All I want to know is what happened to my wife, Evelyn. She was an ex field agent that got reactivated for a mission and then disappeared a few months before I got the call informing me that she was killed. Can...Would you tell me if Evie was a traitor, or a patriot, in the end?"

Chuck hesitated a moment, uncertainty rearing its ugly head. His first instinct was to say "Yes", but he had to consider the ramification. Too often in the past his well intended actions had gotten the team into trouble since he didn't think about what would happen afterwards, like when he attempted to access the FULCRUM communicator by himself. Then again, he did feel bad for the downcast man in front of him. Nobody deserved that uncertainty over a loved one, not if he could help it.

"Okay," Chuck said. "I'll see what I can do, but one one condition: I can't tell you any details about the mission. All I can say is if she had to disappear or not. If we don't talk about the specifics then we won't get into trouble, right?"

Shaw considered this for a moment before nodding. "Yes, that is a reasonable compromise. Thank you Mr. Bartowski."

"Please, call me Chuck," Chuck replied. "Now let me see... When she married you did she keep her last name or did she take yours?"

"She kept it. Her maiden name was Maxwell."

Chuck concentrated on the name "Evelyn Maxwell Shaw" in an effort to encourage the Intersect to work. Nothing happened right away but as soon as Chuck let his mind relax, he flashed. In the span of a moment, the information came to him but it seemed to be incomplete. Some images in his mind's eye were half finished and so he could not retrieve the information kept within. Any documents that were more recent than 5 years ago that pertained to Evie Shaw were lost to him.

Defeated, he looked up at Shaw. "I'm sorry Daniel, too many of the files have been corrupted. I wish that I could say one way or other but..."

"That is acceptable Mr. Bartowski... Charles I mean, "Shaw said in an effort to be friendly. "I heard your report firsthand so I had a feeling that this might have been unproductive. Still, I must thank you for making the attempt. I know you find this 'Flashing' business to be unpleasant."

"It's no problem Daniel, "Chuck replied lamely. He struggled for a moment trying to think of anything else to say but for once the words never materialized. Their relationship was practically non-existent, thus anything he'd come up with that would have ended up coming off as patronizing or clichéd when something heartfelt was needed.

Thankfully Shaw's sense of duty saved them from any further awkward silence. "Well I have kept you long enough. We better get started on our tasks. Thank you again for your help," he said before turning around and silently heading out the door.

Chuck headed down the corridor to the where Sarah awaited him by their workstation. He did his best to hid how lousy he felt but to Sarah he was an open book.

"Did something happen?" She asked worriedly. The facility was supposed to be secure but not secure enough for Sarah. The security system was practically an antique after all.

"Nothing really. Shaw asked me to look into what the CIA had on his wife, "he replied before giving the cliff's notes version of what happened. It was shock to Sarah to hear that the guarded agent was human after all. "I know it wasn't exactly profession, I think, so feel free to give me heck over querying the Intersect. I know this is usually the kind of thing you and Casey are always angry with me for."

Sarah mentally sighed to herself. Did she always come off as a shrew when it came to this things? "No Chuck I'm not angry just... surprised that's all. We're in a tricky situation right now and Agent Shaw has always come across as being, shall we say, rather unsentimental. I'm not sure if the higher ups would agree but I think you handled that situation the best way possible. We can't afford to have Agent Shaw alienated right now, considering the friction his leadership caused on our recent operation."

Chuck made a face. "Ugh, I'd hate to imagine what that was like. I bet he makes 'the mission always come first' Casey look like a free spirit in comparison."

"That's putting it mildly, "Sarah agreed. "Going back to the Intersect, I think it would be best if we limit use of the Intersect until we can find a way to avoid a repeat of last night. This problem with the missing files sounds dangerous, I don't want to risk scrambling your brains if we can help it."

"It's okay Sarah, honest. I think I might be able to avoid a repeat if I take things slow. I was surprised last night by that Flash but if I'm prepared I think I can stop mid-Flash if I need to. I was able to do that a few times with Shaw's request so it should be a snap."

That didn't seem to put her at ease. "Are you sure Chuck? Like Black said you have an unfinished version of the Intersect in your head. What if you loose control and have another attack?"

"Sarah, my attack happened only because I was too eager to find out about that bald guy. If I pace myself I should be okay. Besides, it's not like you haven't put yourself in danger in the past for the mission. Let me take the risks for once."

Sarah allowed herself a frown as she mulled over his words. Damn him and his stubborn do-gooder streak! "Fine, but you have to promise me that you will stop if you so much as get a headache. I may take risks in the field but I know enough to respect my limits." Grabbing his hands tightly she repeated sternly, "Promise me you won't push yourself too far."

Chuck swallowed hard as her hands squeezed tight. He could almost feel the desperation in her grip and the intensity scarred him. "I promise Sarah," he quietly replied, almost at a whisper, yet his eyes remained locked with hers. "I don't want to worry you more. This whole thing got everyone all worried and I don't to add another hospital visit to your troubles."

"Thank you," was all Sarah could manage at the moment. Relinquishing her hold on his hands, she silently turned to her workstation while Chuck followed suit.

0-0

The rest of the day was uneventful much to Sarah's dismay. Although she was glad that Chuck's brain didn't turn to mush on her, the few Flashes he was able to have only pointed out a possible serial killer and a convicted drug dealer on the run, small potatoes in the scope of things really. Nothing connecting to the nuclear materials, Montebloom or the mysterious Ryan Anderson had materialized. She secretly was hoping early on that Chuck would spot some suspicious person in one of the security screenshots and things wrapped up before things got worst but sadly Sarah wasn't due for another miracle for another 20 years. They'll have to leave things to Casey and Shaw if they were going to make any headway on this investigation.

It was around 5:00 when Sarah decided to call it a day. Chuck had already gone over the footage 3 times already and nothing new popped out of his head. It was best not to push their luck too much in a day. "Besides," she thought to her herself, "both of us are due for some R&R." Chuck was eager to agree and the both of them headed to what passed for downtown on the island.

It certainly was a change of pace being able to spend time together without the entirety of the U.S. Intelligence Agencies looming over them. For once Sarah could relax and just enjoy basking in Chuck's zeal of life, whether it was talking about the possibility of becoming an uncle in the future to fawning of some nick-knack he found in one of the various shops they stepped into. Of course there was always the specter of the nuclear material floating around but as she explained to Chuck, the men (and women she added to herself) involved were most likely to want to keep a low profile so the chances of a gunfight breaking out were minimal. Still, Sarah was cautious by nature and the PPK she had on loan was never far from her hand.

For dinner the couple met up with Chuck's friends for some Portuguese, which was a big surprise for Sarah. She knew that the Hawaiian Islands had a lot of boat traffic but she never imagined that it lead to the cuisine being so multi-cultural. The soup she ordered was actually pretty good and the _malasadas she ordered for dessert was well worth the calories. For once she was glad to follow Morgan's advice, marveling that he could have something useful to say for once. Actually, both his and Anna's company was pleasant for once. Maybe they had matured since Sarah last saw them or perhaps it was the fact that she made an effort to distance herself from that ultra-critical point of view agents had a habit of developing, but any way she sliced it, dinner turned out to be a less torturous than she had anticipated. _

After dinner, the group was out of luck for an evening of entertainment. Except for the restaurants and bars the rest of the businesses were closed up for the festivities tomorrow, and with the excess of the tourists a the beach was unusually crowded for the time of day. Thankfully for Chuck, his buddy had an idea.

"Oh, oh, I know what we can do, " Morgan said. "We could check out the fireworks display! My lady-of-all-trades spent forever working on it and she's been dying to show it off now."

Sarah noted the substitution of "Jill" for lady in the term "Jill-of-all-trades" and she silently approved. "She did?" Sarah exclaimed in faux surprise. "That's amazing! I didn't know you could set them up."

"Oh that? Well, it kinda was my backup plan when the job hunt didn't pan out after MIT. I always had a soft spot for stuff that goes 'boom' and I figured getting my pyrotechnic license was a good way to make some cash in the meantime, "Anna explained. "It was either that or become an arsonist."

"Good call I must say. The hours are amazing but the benefits leave a lot to be desired," Chuck joked.

"Don't forget about the whole 'having the police after you' part, " Sarah chimed in.

"Good point. Orange definitely isn't my colour, " Anna replied. "So... I can't fire off anything stronger than a sparkler without making the head honcho PO'd but I can show you guys around the staging area if you'd like."

"Sure! I always loved helping my dad out when we used to set some off for the Fourth, " Sarah said, and once again she was being honest. True, she didn't mention the fact that her father used said fireworks to distract marks while he pilfered their wallets but that part didn't matter right now. Sharing at least one thing in common with Chuck's friends did.

"Sounds like a plan. Lead on guys," Chuck said as he offered Sarah an arm.

When the four of them arrived at the staging area night had already fallen. The moonlight seemed to bounce off the equipment, almost giving it an unworldly shine. Anna took the opportunity to play tour guide, showing off her hard work while Chuck and Morgan added commentary. Sarah occasionally chimed in but most of the time she was subtly inspecting the setup. Explosives were more of Casey's specialty but Sarah was experienced enough to tell the difference between shoddy work and a job well done.

"Hey, what's that? " Chuck asked and Sarah quickly craned her neck towards the gazebo's direction. There looked to be one crate sitting by it and it was covered in a sheet. The fact that it was the only thing left unpacked made Sarah's "Spy Senses" (as Chuck called her intuition) tingle.

"I'm not sure, " Anna said. "It wasn't there when we broke for the night."

"Maybe Sal forgot a box earlier and just brought it over, " Morgan offered.

"Maybe, but he would have called me if that was the case, " she replied.

"Let's check it out, " Sarah said. That box's unexplained appearance was making her uneasy. Best asses it now before it was too late."If your friend did bring it in later perhaps we should find somewhere to put it before someone walks off with it."

"Must be your girl scout training at work, " Chuck said as he walked up to the box. "Let's see what we're dealing with." With a couple of tugs, the sheet came off revealing a solid metal container. There were no markings on it but it definitely was thicker than your usual crate.

"Chuck I think we should..." Sarah started to say before she was rudely interrupted.

The _click-click_ sound that interrupted came from behind them but even Morgan knew not to turn around. Whatever it was sounded heavy and menacing. "Like a gun," Chuck gloomily thought to himself.

"Well what do we have here?"

A/N: As always, reviews are always welcome.


	17. Chapter 17

A/N: Thanks to everyone that left a review and/or followed this story of mine. I always liked stories that goes off the beaten path and I'm happy to hear that you're all enjoying mine. Hats off to **jaytoyz** for acting as beta on this chapter.

Chapter 17

The moment Casey entered the kitchen he was hit with a sense of wrongness. With Shaw's help, the two of them had managed to infiltrate Montebloom Manor through an often overlooked backdoor. Thanks to the 15 minute window of opportunity that Agent Black had given them with her manipulation of the security feeds, the whole thing went without a hitch, and yet the Colonel's paranoia refused to subside. After that snafu a few days ago, he'd expected the place to be locked up tighter than Fort Knox in a case of 'closing the barn door after the horse escaped', but instead things seemed to be unexpectedly lax. Actually, the placed seemed to be practically dead which was odd, especially considering the amount of money the dossiers had said the mark accumulated selling RPGs, landmines and other assorted goodies in bulk to any scum with the cash.

Despite Casey's misgivings over the lack of sentries, the two of them cautiously made their way upstairs to Montebloom's study, which, according to Shaw, was where their mark could be found at this time of day and the most ideal place to make the capture. The whole time, Shaw had kept quiet using hand signals during the whole operation, even refusing to talk during the prep phrase.

That was another thing that made the whole thing hinky in Casey's mind. Shaw had acted professionally the whole time, and yet... there was just something off about the CIA spook and the veteran NSA agent just couldn't put his finger on it. It wasn't just the lack of bluster that agency twerps carried like a badge (Walker excluded), it was more like something was off kilter with the man himself. Usually, he kept lady feelings out of the business but if what Walker had told him earlier were true, that might not be possible. He'd have to get Bartowski's take on the man to be certain, but Casey had the sinking feeling that they might have a ticking time bomb on their hands.

But his concerns would have to wait for now, he told himself, motioning to Shaw to pick the study's lock. Casey took up position with his back to the wall, giving him an unobstructed view of the hallway in both directions, just in case somebody was actually on duty tonight. After a couple of minutes, Casey was grinding his teeth and about to take over when the lock clicked. Shaw stood to the side and pushed the door open, allowing Casey access while keeping his line of fire clear. The study was dark except for a lone candle sitting by the window, which illuminated a cluttered table full of documents. A figure, who he assumed was Montebloom, was seated in a chair behind the desk and chair was swivelled around to face out onto the garden. Cautious not to knock over the piles of books stacked all over the place, Casey slowly crept over to the chair, his gun gripped tightly in his right fist and his left hand free for whatever might be needed.

For a moment he wished they had access to the special issue 'Twilight' darts. They would have put the older man down without any fuss or complications, but he had to face the reality that they were just too damn expensive for the government to stock them in every single base. He had access to the expenses report for Operation Bartowksi, and the cost of replacing darts that had been used on celebrity/waste-of-space Tyler Martin was ten times more than it had cost to revive his beloved Crown Vic after the 'moron' had blown it up. No, if they were going to take Montebloom without a fight they would have to rely on a splash of chloroform and a heaping of luck to get the job done.

In the blink of an eye, Casey had holstered his pistol and had one arm wrapped around the target's neck while the other hand, after a quick dip into a specially lined pocket, was now covering Montebloom's face with a chloroform soaked rag. Much to his surprise, nothing happened. Usually, the target thrashed around for a few seconds before losing consciousness but Montebloom didn't even stir. For a moment, Casey's years of experience were providing possible reasons for the unexpected response until his left hand brushed against something wet and the list of possibilities got considerably shorter. Acting on instinct, he spun the figure in the chair to face him and got the confirmation of what he'd suspected. The three time winner of Maclean's Cactus Garden of the Year lay dead with two bullet holes, almost overlapping each other, staring back at him from the man's forehead.

"Shaw, we got a problem," Casey grunted from between clenched teeth, turning his head to find his temporary partner was examining something he had cradled in the palm of his hand.

"Did you step on those plastic army men he kept around? I always found it odd that a full grown man kept them scattered around," Shaw replied, offering Casey a glimpse of the toy in his hand.

"No idiot," Casey growled softly as possible at the agent. "The target's died!"

"That really is peculiar" Shaw answered, not sounding terribly surprised. "We kept perfect surveillance on Mr. Montebloom during the operation and there was no indication of any hostilities aimed at our host."

"Doesn't matter what your surveillance showed because somebody definitely came in here and killed him, unless you're suggesting he shot himself twice, hid the piece and THEN died."

"Impossible. The bullet wounds would be immediately fatal and the blood would ..." Shaw began.

"Stow it, not interested," Casey interrupted dismissively. Speaking into his headset, he said, "Black, how's our extraction point?"

"Still good," Jordan replied. "Why, have you ran into any hostiles?"

"Not yet, but the night is young. Somebody silenced our lead," Casey replied.

"I'm not liking this timing" Jordan replied, "wait a minute, I'm getting something over the police scanner." A few moments passed and Jordan's voice came over the channel again, sounding more frantic. "You've got to go, now! Somebody called in shots fired at your location and the police are coming in force."

"Damn it, we've been set up." Casey muttered to himself before addressing Shaw, "we're getting out of here, pronto!"

Abandoning stealth, the two operatives ran to the back and the zip-line they'd readied earlier. Going out the front door was definitely out of the question now, so using the line to get themselves over the fence at the back of the compound was the only option. Unfortunately for them, someone else had the same idea and ended up cutting the line.

"Great, there goes that idea," Casey grumbled as he kicked at the frayed end of the now useless line. "Any ideas?"

"We did pass a sizeable gardening shed on the way over. Perhaps there is a ladder we could use," Shaw suggested.

"Great. I'll get it while you keep an eye on things," Casey ordered as he hurried to the shed. He was sure that Shaw was ready to protest but Casey was in the mood to play nice. The dim sounds of sirens were starting to reach his ears and he didn't have time to play nursemaid for the man's sense of authority.

When he got to the shed, Casey found it padlocked with a heavy duty lock. For a moment he debated firing on the lock but decided against it. He'd had a suppressor on the Colt but the lock looked too sturdy for .45 round to destroy it. A ricochet was more likely to occur. Deciding the subtle approach was also out of the question, Casey charged the door with his left shoulder and bounced off. The door groaned in protest at the assault and the next blow smashed the door off its hinges.

"Good thing he skimped on the wood," Casey thought to himself as he quickly inspected the damage he'd done. In the corner lay a step ladder that seemed long enough for the job so Casey grabbed it and retraced his steps. When he got back he noticed Shaw slipping something into his pocket.

"I thought I told you no cellphones on this op," Casey growled as he set the ladder up.

"I was just sending a text message to our friend in the van. With police on the way I thought it best to avoid radio communication," Shaw quickly explained.

"Fine, now get your ass up the ladder. I'll tear you a new one later" Casey growled, his eyes scanning the area for any threat.

In silence Shaw had climbed , realizing that the ladder almost was tall enough to reach the top but not quiet. Getting another one would take too long, so the agent launched himself over the fence, landing with a practiced roll. Casey followed suit and the two quickly made their way back to the rusty Beetle that Tang had allocated for the mission. Casey was in the middle of replacing the traditional black mission ensemble with his trusty Hawaiian shirt when he noticed the cut on his leg. Damn it, and he thought they'd gotten away clean.

Grabbing a bandage from the vehicles first aid kit, he told Shaw, "You better drive. Cut myself on the way down and I've got to stop the bleeding," he explained/grunted as he wrapped the bandage around the cut.

When he was done, Casey slid into the passenger side and once they were on the road, feigned sleep while Shaw drove. Moments later the flashing lights of the cop cars appeared, passing by in a blur, only to disappear back into the night as they sped in the opposite direction. Not one of the boys in blue gave them a passing glance as the first responders hurried over to the deserted manor. Ex-filtration was a success.

Although glad to not have to deal with the cops, Casey was still uneasy. Someone had beaten them to the scene and had put the cops on them, someone that now knew that someone else was interested in the deceased arms smuggler. Walker needed to know that the mystery group with the nuclear crap was now aware of their existence on the island ASAP. Pulling the crappy cell phone out of his pocket and dialled Walker's number but the call wasn't picked up. He tried again a few more times before he gave up. Where the hell was that spook anyways?!

0-0

Sarah stood facing a bald headed man, his shotgun practically shoved in her face. She'd kept her face neutral the whole time while she seethed internally. The man was _just _far enoughout of range to make it impossible for her to disarm him and the way he seemed to brandish the weapon almost seemed to mock her inability to act. The ringing of her cell phone did nothing to sooth her anger either.

"Nice night for ripping off fireworks. Too bad you've run into me. First night on the job and I've already caught me some thieves?"

Anna's eyes narrowed at this. "Excuse me, just how stupid do you think we are? You're not even wearing the right uniform and you don't have a pass!"

"Plus there's the fact that you're carrying a shotgun. Not exactly standard gear for a security guard," Sarah chimed in.

"What exactly makes you lot the expert on security around here? You've been casing the place?" The suspicious guard asked them.

"Hey dummy, I work here! I'm the lead pyrotechnics expert. If anyone's a thief it's probably you!" Anna shot back. "Nobody on the committee is stupid enough to hire someone who lacks the common sense to not to wave a gun around all this powder."

"Looks like the jig is up so to speak, " said a voice said from the shadows. For a moment Chuck strained to see who it was before a bearded middle aged man came into view. As the graying newcomer came into the light, Chuck's mind felt the start of a Flash and he let it continue. To his surprise the file he accessed were the FULCRUM ones uploaded into his mind over a year ago and not one of the unreliable newer ones. The man's name was Mikhail Karpov, a former member the KGB who decided to enter into the private sector not long after the Berlin Wall fell. He was groomed to be a sleeper agent before the Berlin Wall fell and put a spanner into the agency's plans, thus explaining his perfect American accent.

"It was rather unfortunate for you that you've come across us, " Karpov continued. "Usually I believe that diligence should be rewarded but in this case I must make an exception." The agent of the defunct FULCRUM scanned the faces of the four captives, seeming unimpressed until his eyes fell upon Sarah. A creepy smile slowly spread across his face and it took all of Chuck's willpower not to shudder. "Ahh, I must say that it is an honour to meet you Ms. Misha Kiebler, or was it Mrs. Juliette Anderson? I do find it a bit of a nuance keeping track of the various names you've used in the past but it definitely is you. "

Sarah schooled her face to her default agent face but Chuck could tell she was tensing up. Someone had done the impossible and made her. Did someone in the agency talk?

"Uhhh... Sarah. Is this about your ahhh... colorful childhood?" Morgan asked. "Not judging or anything, you know about that string of wardrobe malfunctions I keep getting in high school and all, but I think it is funny that someone would remember you after all this time. Then again if you did pose as someone's child bride I'd..." Morgan said before Chuck elbowed him in the side. A quick look from Chuck said it all, "Not now".

"Sounds like you've lead quiet the adventurous life there Ms. Abigail Holland, if any of it is true. And here I thought you came into your own these past few years. Did you tell your new friends about the dead agents you left in Kandahar, or the time you and your fake husband scuttled an entire drug ring in Cape Town? I must admit the man did have a flare for the dramatic but I'm afraid that his vanity is the cause of your misfortune. I was simply going to take you along with your friends and tie you up but instead I'm going to have to deliver you to some rather understandably angry fellows. It's nothing personal I assure you, I've spent a great deal of time and money searching for FULCRUM's albatross and I aim to make sure it did not go to waste. Oh, and before you say anything, yes the bounty is still in effect. "

Even after the lengthy info dump Sarah stood undeterred. "I'm sorry but I think you've got the wrong person. I've worked as a vet in D.C. for a few years and I've been operating a frozen yogurt stand in Los Angeles since then. I never left the States before, not even to go to Canada. Look, I know that I just got one of those faces that people mistaken for someone else. Ever since I got to L.A. it's been 'hey it's the hottie from that video game' or 'weren't you in that thing with Jason Statham?'. I tell you ..."

"Enough!" Karpov interrupted. "Are all of you CIA agents so damn chatty?" he ironically asked. "Do you think nobody would be able to put two and two together? This is the digital age my dear, information sharing is a snap. When a female operative keeps mucking things up a lot of interested people are going to start asking questions, the type that don't go unanswered for long. Too bad for you your agency seems to have its mindset stuck in the past. The days of James Bond going unnoticed are long gone."

Chuck was nerves were getting the best of him, and that meant his mouth burst into action. "Please please please sir, don't hurt Sarah. I know your ahh... big-bad-mad-sad bosses aren't happy but is this really the way to go about things. We both know the technology for facial recognition is still buggy, so there's no way you can be certain that this lady spy person is, well, the same person. For all you know these spies kept using the same type of fake nose and it was skewing the results."

"Are you saying my nose is fake looking Chuck?" Sarah asked pointedly as her attention suddenly shifted to him.

"What? No way! I'm just saying that it's so lovely that these most likely homely lady spies were trying to look as pretty as possible, and kept choosing a nose that looks like yours. Honestly, I couldn't think of a more perfect nose to emulate than yours m'lady," Chuck quickly answered.

"Good save, " Anna whispered to him.

It looked like Karpov's patience had come to an end."Saints preserve me it's contagious. Look, I don't have time for this. If any one of you open your mouths again you're going to get shot, do you understand?"

Unfortunately for him Morgan didn't seem to register the rest of the sentence. The older man with the (clearly) inferior beard had uttered the word and nothing else seemed to matter. "Shot, did he say shot? I can't stand them, I can't. They say it won't hurt and weeks later I can still feel the sensation of cold steel being jabbed into my defenceless arm. It's barbaric I tell you, a real travesty! And that's not the worst, no no no, one time the needle broke!" Morgan said in a panic. The man bearing the shotgun winced. "They never found all of the pieces."

In a quiet voice he said, "I can still feel it inside of me, working its way through my insides. Deeper and deeper it goes through me, slowly making its way to my heart. I can't afford to get excited anymore, or eat red meat lest my heart gets bigger and welcomes the embrace of that lone needle."

The shotgun wielder turned away, looking like he was about to be sick. Whatever his faults are, Sarah could have kissed Morgan Grimes there and then. His outburst just got her the opening she sorely needed.

Grabbing the first thing at hand, Sarah tossed what appeared to be a forgotten can of bug spray at the head of the shot-gunner as his weapon went off harmlessly into the ground. Karpov's gun had just barely cleared his holster when Sarah hit him with a flying tackle. She landed hard on the spy but the man's weapon retention was freakishly good as the pistol stayed in his grip. The two of them fought for control over the weapon to a standstill, their training was equal and Sarah's advantageous position was negated by the older man's strength.

Karpov's underling was recovering from being nailed in the head and pointed his weapon at the struggling spies at the ground. For a moment he considered opening fire but the spread would hit his superior as well as the blond wench. Unlike many goons that came before him, he had an idea. "Get her head up, I'll blast her!" he shouted at Karpov.

However, the standard goon's tunnel vision was fully in effect.

"Oh no you don't!" Anna shouted as she aimed a kick at the thug. The blow hit the man in the shoulder as he pivoted, putting him off balance enough for Chuck to rip the shotgun out of his hands. As the man made a grab for the weapon, Morgan crouched behind him and Chuck shoved him over.

"Going for that oldie boys? I'm impressed!" Anna called out as she snapped one more kick to the operative's head, putting him out of commission.

"Hell yeah! The Tommy Alberto fake-out for the win! High five time man?" Morgan asked Chuck, one hand already raised in the air.

"Gimme a sec buddy, got something I need to take care of first," Chuck said as he marched over to Sarah and Karpov. Switching his grip so he held the gun by the barrel, he bellowed "Fore!" as he hit the ex-KGB agent with his best gold swing.

After a quick, appreciative glance towards her former asset, her training took over as Sarah tore the pistol out of the unconscious man's grip and sprung out of his grasp. For a moment she considered putting a round into her would be capturer but decided against it for two reasons: 1) The cops wouldn't think twice to throw her in jail and the agency wouldn't bail her out and 2) She didn't want to freak out Chuck and his cohorts. And then there was Reason 3: Chuck hugs always took precedent. He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her hairline as she returned the hug one handed. She was about to say something to try to ease his distress when Reason 4 reared its ugly head: it would give away their position. The scuffle had alerted Karpov's compatriots and at the moment they were standing right in the center of a literal powder keg.

"We've got to get out of here, we're going to get some company soon" Sarah said forcefully. She didn't shout but the authority of her 'Agent Voice' (as Chuck had dubbed it) got the group moving without question. The shouts were getting closer as Sarah moved towards the fountain. "Head through the trees back towards Morgan's car, I'll catch up" she calmly told them as she took up a firing position. At Chuck's urging they followed Sarah's orders. For once Morgan was unusually quiet as he held Anna's hand tightly while they navigated through the dark away from the parking lot and the men that wouldn't hesitate to kill. Chuck had them pause a ways in to wait for Sarah and after 10 minutes, they were graced with her presence. She looked like she got caked in mud but so far nobody was following them. It took a good hour for them to get back to Morgan's car and the lot of them piled into the car, Sarah wordlessly sliding into the driver's seat.

Chuck suggested having Anna call the cops in order to go after the men with the guns and Sarah agreed after thinking it over and failing to find fault in the logic. A call from her wouldn't arouse attention and the police had the numbers to round them up. Maybe something good would come out of their close call, maybe one of the men knew something, maybe the nuke was actually in that featureless container. Sarah couldn't say, she'd have to take them back to the facility for a debriefing and possibly for protection and she told Chuck and the others such.

With the destination decided, Sarah's mind drifted to other matters. Casey was long overdue for a check in, which was uncharacteristic for the Colonel's usually punctual manner. At least that was she thought until she checked her phone. The crappy burner had bit the dust when she went into the mud with her knife wielding opponent. And then there was handing Anna and Morgan's sudden knowledge of her true profession. How would she deal with it? Would the accusations come out in a deluge or would they simmer until the anger, caused by the seemingly endless stream of lies, boil over at a later date? Would they be willing to keep it a secret? Secrecy was paramount for her job but she wasn't willing to put a bullet into either former Buy-Morian. After everything they'd seen, simple lies weren't going to cut it.

At a stop light, she glanced at the others in the car. She glanced over at Anna expecting a scowl or blind rage, instead seeing a sly smile on her face.

"Huh, so you're some hotshot spy. Heck of a step up from assistant vet or whatever it was you said you did before," Anna said while shooting Sarah a thumbs up.

Morgan's reaction was equally enthusiastic. "I'll say! Hot damn that's actually pretty awesome! I always knew you were gutsier than you let on, and I'd certainly sleep better at night knowing you've got Chuck's back. Oh, oh, what are the super secret gadgets like these days?"

Sarah, to say the least, was shocked. She'd expected a round of accusations and doubts about her relationship with Chuck and not this... this... acceptance. Then again she always imagined that it would have been Ellie that found out first so the expectation of skepticism and doubt was set much higher for her reveal of her true occupation. When it came to her brother, Eleanor Faye Bartowski nee Woodcomb was as protective as a mama grizzly with her cubs. Not even Carina and her brazen ways could stand up to the might of an angry Ellie. Chuck, on the other hand, was just happy that they could talk about the crazy stuff they'd been up to.

"Not as inventive as the Cold War days I'm afraid" Sarah explained. "With all of the advances in technology, a lot of the important gear has already been downsized and/or made a part of cell phones already so the days of the bow-tie camera and the shoe-phone are long gone. Combined with the need for analyzing data better, this has caused the R& D to shift from designing better field gear to, well, doing the type of work Anna and Chuck do."

"Ahhh, so, no cufflinks that shoot deadly, little darts?" Morgan asked, the disappointment in his voice easy to hear.

Sarah debated for a moment whether to reply or not, but decided _What the heck_. She rarely got to discuss work with anyone outside of the Agency and she found she liked talking about the more eccentric part of the Agency's ancient history. "Actually I recall hearing there being a bunch of those just gathering dust in the same warehouse where they stored the faulty jetpack prototypes, the umbrella grappling hooks that keep jamming and the cases of the exploding cigars the Agency tried to use on Castro."

Anna's and Morgan's eyes went wide with that revelation. "You're kidding me!" Anna exclaimed. When Sarah didn't break down laughing she added, "All that stuff is _real_?! That's crazy. I thought that was just movie stuff."

Sarah grinned at this. "The funny thing is that half of the crazy inventions _were _inspired by the movies. When it comes to James Bond hero worship the brain bank would put these two to shame," she said as she jerked a thumb at Chuck and Morgan.

"That's not the half of it!" Chuck chimed in. "One time while I was digging around for some old intel on a missing scientist when I stumbled across one of his old plans. Get this, they wanted to turn Soviet Russia's water supplying into chocolate milk! I think the idea was to either mess up the farming or to give everyone cavities, I wasn't sure."

"It's amazing what they were willing to do back then to undermine the Soviet Union. If it wasn't for the red tape and the budget restraints, the Agency's history would have read like one of Chuck's comic books!" Sarah added, a smile playing across her lips.

It was the talk of money that reminded Morgan of something. "Oh crap, we owe Jeff $50!"

Chuck, to say the least, was aghast. "Ah geez you guys, don't tell me you were part of that!"

Anna explained, "Everyone at the Buy More had a betting pool running about what you were actually doing over at the Orange Orange Sarah. Me and Morgan put down $25 that you were running a grow op out of the basement and you were using Casey for muscle. Jeff put down a Canadian $2 bill that the Double O was, and I quote, a 'super duper ultra-secret spy base'. "

"Really? I didn't think we were suspicious at all," Sarah said defensively. She was so certain her cover as a mild mannered proprietor of a frozen yogurt shop was airtight.

"Ha ha, yeah... nobody was buying the whole 'innocent fro-yo shop' thing," Morgan replied. "Between the weird hours the shop was open, the fact that Chuck and Casey usually disappeared whenever you closed up and the suspicious jump in black SUVs coming into the plaza. It was enough to make even Skip suspicious, and you know that Skip would trust Maphisto himself! Plus you were waaaaaaayyy too generous with the toppings. Everyone knows that frozen yogurt places are notorious for being tight-fisted with the sprinkles."

Chuck squeezed Sarah shoulder in comfort. "Cheer up Sar, nobody else has Morgan's crazy eye for detail so no one suspected what was going on there. It's no problem."

"No problem? Everyone thinks I'm a drug dealer!"

"At least nobody accused you of running pirated CDs. On the totem pole of shady entrepreneurs, pot grower is miles above music piracy, " Morgan said trying to be comforting. "Heck, that's almost respectable."

"Thanks... I think," Sarah replied. She decided there and then to stop over at one of the older gas stations and see if they still had a working payphone. Casey needed to be brought into the loop ASAP.

A couple of more miles found the establishment that fit Sarah's needs and a couple of minutes later Chuck and the others joined Sarah inside while she went to the phones in the corner. After his kidnapping, the car was no longer a convincing safe haven to Chuck, and besides she'd feel better having him in sight.

"Walker, where the hell have you been?" Casey growled into the phone. "The job went sideways and you've been ignoring my calls."

"Sorry Casey, the phone bit it after I had a run in downtime. I'm on a public line so it might be crowded on my side." Translation: I can be over heard at any time. I'll be using code.

"Damn it, more complications. Listen, our lead is a dead end, someone silenced our source and sent the dogs on our trail. What the hell happened to you."

Sarah explained the run in with the KGB agent, including Chuck's flash on the man and the mysterious unmarked container he was guarding. At the mention of the cops getting involved, Casey wasn't thrilled but at least it was more desirable than ex-FULCRUM mercs having control of the area. "I'll wait until morning for the excitement to die down and I'll have Black touch base with our colleagues in blue. Hopefully it's good news but you know me."

"Always expect the worst. Thanks Casey, see you back at the office." Well it was mostly bad news but at least Casey didn't send out a search party after them. She turned to Chuck to tell him about Casey's op when he waved her over to the TV mounted above the cashier's head.

"Sarah, you got to check this out, " he said.

"Is it the water skiing squirrel again?" she asked hopefully.

"Oh I wish, this is bad, real bad, " and for once she wished he was exaggerating.


	18. Chapter 18

A/N: Thanks goes to reader **garnetflint** for lending a hand beta-ing this chapter for me. My usual beta reader **jaytoyz** has been under the weather and I didn't want to impose anymore on him. Here's hoping he's feeling well soon. For those of you with alerts, I've decided to resubmit this chapter after **garnetflint** spotted a few more typos. Give the man a hand for going the extra mile with this chapter.

Chapter 18

Sarah's eyes were immediately drawn to the TV mounted on the wall as the words "Manor in Flames" lazily scrolled across the screen. She caught the second half of the report but it was obvious that it was Montebloom's mansion that was set ablaze. The neo-gothic structure looked like how she thought the final act of Frankenstein would look as the flames licked at gargoyles and the masonry began to crumble.

"... police have been unable to locate Mr. Montebloom. The well known philanthropist was attacked in his home days ago and there has been speculation that this may be related. Police are urging any witnesses to come forward if they have information about the arson. A $5000 reward is being offered for any information that leads to an arrest," said the overly made up announcer.

The woman looked like she was about to move on when her hand shot to her ear. "This just in. Sources have confirmed that there have been several suspects identified by witnesses to the fire. If our viewers see any of the following suspects, they are urged not to approach them and to instead call the following number," she said as several pictures appeared on screen with a phone number below.

The first picture bore a fairly good likeness to Casey, suspiciously so. Unless someone had caught sight of the Colonel at the scene, if such a thing was possible, such a perfect description should have been improbable. The darkness plus the black face paint he usually wore on night missions would have made identification impossible unless his usual mastery of infiltration had failed.

The second picture shown made her suspicions skyrocket. The person depicted had the features of her in her Jennifer Taylor persona, complete with freckles, green eyes, red hair and even the raised cheek bones. That effect was accomplished with the foam pad she'd stuffed in her mouth for the past few weeks to disguise her face without prosthetics and she'd stopped wearing them as soon as she'd gotten the Black watch Plaid Alert. Whoever had been supplying this false information had obviously been monitoring her at least since she'd arrived at Montebloom Manor, so why give that outdated description?

She didn't have time to follow that train of thought when a third image appeared. The hair was definitely cut shorter, and the face bore a grimace, but it definitely looked like Chuck.

"Holy cow Chuck, you've got an evil doppelganger!" Morgan cried.

"Shhh! You want to wake up the attendant?" she asked as she pointed to the man asleep at the counter. "We need to get back on the road ASAP but first we need to make sure we cover our tracks. Chuck ..."

"Let me guess, wait in the car. If that's the case at least let give me the keys so I can keep the car running, " he replied. If he was fated to wait in the car again it was to be on his terms.

"Good thinking Chuck, we won't be long. If you think someone is coming just drive around back and wait for us, " Sarah said as she tossed him the keys. Turning to Morgan, she asked him, "Morgan you mind keeping watch? I need eyes on the front while Anna and I do cleanup."

"Just call me Hawkeye. I'll give a shout if anyone tries to sneak up on us, " he said as he ducked behind the magazine stand and peered out. Somehow Sarah doubted he was making a M.A.S.H. reference.

"Anna, you think you can handle the security footage?"

"On it!" Anna called out over her shoulder as she ducked into the back room. Sarah proceeded to wipe down the phone and whatever else the others might have touched with a hanky she always kept handy. Thankfully Morgan's obsession with remembering minute details came in handy as he called out everything the others touched, including the wad of gum Anna accidently brushed against the wall. Sarah finished just as Anna came back.

"Mission accomplished," she said as she tossed a DVD to Sarah. "The shop had one cam hooked up to a DVD recorder, so I pulled the disk and put a fresh one in, after turning it off. When the boss comes in he'll think someone forgot to hit record."

"Wow, good thinking Anna, " Sarah complimented her. As she moved to the front of the store a thought came to mind. "Wait, have you guys done something like this before?"

"Yup, the great Large Mart Raid of '06. It was before your time, Sarah," Morgan offered helpfully. "It was a thing of beauty, I think you'd really appreciate the duplicity involved."

"And here I thought Chuck wanted to keep the spycraft out of the Buy More," Sarah said as she stuck the disk in her pants. "We clear out there Morgan?"

"Like a screening of the Star Wars Holiday Special."

"Good... I think. Let's get out of here."

Minutes later, the car was back on the road, this time with Morgan at the wheel. Chuck had thoughtfully put towels over the seats so the mud Sarah left wouldn't get on the driver. With the bulletin out with their faces on it, Sarah decided it would be best to hide in sight by having her and Chuck pretending to be a couple sleeping off a night of hard drinking. To complete the look she had Chuck nestled in her bosom to subtlety hide his face in case someone got a look of inside the car.

After getting acclimatized to his comfy new position, Chuck spoke up. "Thanks guys, this really means a lot to me, to us really. I'm sorry to have to drag you into this mess like this. I wasn't expecting well... this to occur. I know you have a lot of questions but there isn't much I can tell you without ending up in a prison."

"That's cool man, really. I'd just like to know when you started to do this spy stuff. Were you really undercover at the Buy More the whole time?" Morgan asked.

"No, I actually did join the Buy More crew out of desperation. After he-who-shall-not-be-named got me kicked out of Standford, I didn't have a degree and that meant no job prospects. The whole CIA thing came later," Chuck answered honestly.

Sensing Chuck's struggle to come up with a plausible explanation, Sarah jumped in, "Yes, you see Morgan, Chuck came to the attention of the agency after he managed to finish his degree online. His high grades had drawn the recruiter's attention, especially with the controversy surrounding Chuck's dismissal. Aside from those test papers that were reported stolen by... Bruce Lanford, was it?"

"Bryce Larkin, " Morgan corrected with an amount of vitriol that surprised Sarah.

"Right, that person, " she continued. "Aside from his claim that Chuck was responsible for the theft, the investigation into Chuck's academic career came up spotless. The investigators were looking at Mr. Larkin involvement in the situation when the dean ended the investigation prematurely."

"Typical Ivy School cover-up bullshit, " Anna muttered angrily.

"_Definitely a story there," _Sarah thought to herself. "_Best ask Chuck about that later."_

"Probably, but good luck proving it," Sarah replied. "So, in the interest of fairness the school decided to reinstate Chuck as a student and allowed him to complete his remaining courses online. That meant that Chuck could finish up without appearing on most recruiter's radar, which made him the perfect candidate for a new project. The higher ups were worried that there might have been someone leaking information on the project to the Chinese and so wanted to get a fresh face on this. Someone untainted by office politics but with the skill set, the maturity, and most importantly the dedication that an analyst needed for the project."

"Someone like Chuck," Morgan finished. "That's cool and all but why ask Chuck out then? Unless that was a thing that happened after, or... wait I'm confused."

"Well, my job was originally to just recruit Chuck to the project but the higher ups thought that I would be the perfect candidate to act as a, shall we say, supervisor on the project. That meant that I'd have to insert myself into Chuck's life as his girlfriend, so the amount of time spent together wouldn't attract attention. It wasn't a perfect solution at all, considering the fact that I just ended a messy relationship and well... Chuck is an amazing guy. I didn't want to lead him on but you guys can see how messy things got."

"I sure didn't make things easier," Chuck said sadly. "I did try to keep things, you know, separate but I kept making a hash of things."

"You mean like with sandwich girl?" Anna asked.

Chuck sighed. "Yeah, Lou. I didn't mean to hurt her but things just got twisted. During the course of the project some research came to light suggesting that she might have been involved with some suspicious people. To say the least my being there when the cops showed up didn't do either of us any favors. In the end it wasn't even drugs or anything other serious stuff involved."

"How can you say that buddy?! Pawning contraband meat on the plaza is a MAJOR no-no in my book. I knew her Tuesday special was off, even before she started doctoring our orders!" Morgan exclaimed. "Crimes against food is always a big deal Chuck."

"I second that Morgie. That gob of yellow in my chicken salad was definitely not egg yolk no matter what Skip says, " Anna said. "Let's just say that little violation of health code got her a good talking to, " she concluded as she cracked her knuckles. _Probably explained the sandwich maker's swift departure_, Sarah mentally noted to herself.

"Aside from those hiccups, Chuck did perform admirable throughout the project to the point that a quite a few people were disappointed when he declined to renew his contract, and I admit that I count myself among them. Over time we'd gotten close, and well let's just say that we'd become more than co-workers by the end."

"Mixing business and pleasure, always a good combo, " Anna added. "So wait, does that mean that when you two were getting comfy in Chuck's dad's ride that was your first..." Anna's thought died as soon as she spotted Chuck's ears going red. "Nice! Give me love here girl!" she exclaimed as she readied a fist bump, and Sarah followed through enthusiastically. Even someone so out of touch with popular culture as herself knew it was rude to leave someone hanging, more so when they so whole-heartedly supported her and Chuck's unconventional relationship.

"Hey Sarah, I think we're coming up to that address you gave me. Far be it for me to question your know-how but why are we lying low at a Cannery? Do you want us to hid in the crates and hope we get shipped elsewhere?" Morgan asked.

"Not quite. I can't share exactly is going on but Chuck and I are going to wait for a friend there, "Sarah answered. "For you and Anna's sake it's best that we split up for now until we get this sorted out. If anyone asks we went our separate ways after dinner and you didn't get the news until much later, say over the radio when you were almost home. And don't try to contact us, we'll call you."

"Are you sure? I mean I feel there must be something else we can do."

"Trust me buddy, you guys have gone well above and beyond tonight, " Chuck said. "Going home and getting a good night's rest is the best thing you guys can do for us right now."

"'k, but if you need a hand don't hesitate to give us a shout, " Anna concluded.

"Thanks Anna, I do appreciate the offer, " Sarah added. "Just pull over to the side and let us off. There's a parking lot around back where our ride will pick us up."

After saying good bye to the two, Chuck and Sarah sat huddled against the building. Due to Harry's insistence on following out of date protocol, neither could gain access to the base without Casey or Shaw. True to his spiteful nature, he discovered a rule stating that only senior operatives could be given access through the back entrance, and he took some liberties as to who could be considered "senior". Tang's ego just couldn't pass up the chance to spite Sarah for the humiliation he'd suffered, even if he provoked it.

Sarah cursed the man in Polish under her breath for denying her the chance for a quick shower and change, but at least there was a silver lining. Tonight was a clear night, and without the glare of city lights she had the opportunity to get in some star gazing with Chuck. Astronomy being neither of their strong points, they took turns looking for the Big Dipper and Orion's Belt. Quiet moments like these were a rarity for the couple whenever they were together and Sarah was glad to get this rare gift.

As always, Casey appeared to cut the moment short.

"Am I interrupting something lovebirds?" he asked in his usual sarcastic way, forgetting the term was no longer ironic.

"Yup, we're just discussing His and Her bathrobes. What do you think Casey, am I a Fuchsia kind of a guy or more of a lemon grass?" Chuck asked jokingly.

"You're always the pain-in-the-ass kind of guy Bartowksi, " he responded without malice. "Did either of you pick up a tail on the way? Shaw almost put us right into a roadblock and we needed to split up."

"No Casey, we're clear," Sarah replied. "What happened on your mission exactly? You weren't exactly forthcoming on the details."

"Someone beat us to Montebloom and double tapped him before calling the cops," Casey answered. "From what I gathered he'd been dead for a least a few hours so it wasn't the shots that drew their attention."

"Could it have been a maid or something that called them in?" Chuck asked.

"No way in hell. The door was locked when we got there. If one of the staff managed to find the body there's no way in hell they'd have been calm enough to lock up behind them. There'd have been a hell lot more commotion going on than what we encountered. No, someone waited until Shaw and myself were deep within the manor before making the call. Throw in the fact that someone tried to trap us there and there can only be one conclusion, " Casey stated coolly.

"We've got ourselves a mole, " Sarah coldly concluded. She took a moment to take this in before asking, "Casey, you said that Agent Black was in the van right? Was there a gap in the communications that she could have exploited?"

"We had radio silence while we were inside, so yes there were gaps where she was unaccounted for. Factor in those times she just happened to disappear for hours on end and we have someone with opportunity."

Chuck spoke up, "Wait a minute, you're not suspecting her, are you? I mean isn't it a mite early to be playing the blame game?"

"Don't tell me you're blindly rushing to another brunette's rescue, moron! Did you learn nothing after Roberts played you like a cheap kazoo?" Casey asked skeptically. For someone that the eggheads deemed a genius the nerd had frequent bouts of stupidity.

Chuck, to say the least, was livid. "What? No, that's not... wait a minute Casey! That's not what this is about AT ALL! We got a base full of people that none of know a thing about, and they're all working under Harry Tang himself. You know as well as I do that he's got a talent for sucking the moral out of anywhere he worked. For all we know he pissed off some analyst or janitor enough to make them consider selling information would be preferable to being stuck in a job with Harry as the boss."

Casey gritted his teeth. Bartowski did have a good point but he'd rather make a snack out of his own foot off before admitting that. Besides, Black's convenient disappearing acts made him suspicious. How much did they know about the suit anyways?

"We can't afford to dismiss anything at this point," Sarah interjected. "It's true that Black had a window for contacting other parties but then again she wasn't the only one privy to our movements. Tang had to co-ordinate his minions for your op and there's always the possibility that someone overheard something."

An idea came to Casey just then. "Tang, that little weasel," he spat out. "I think it's time I had a heart to heart with our base leader." He spun towards the hidden panel and entered in his credentials, only to be rewarded with a big red "DENIED". Time and again Casey tried to gain access only to be rejected. After the fourth time he out Growl #4 (the VERY frustrated one) and turned to the others. "Listen up. Don't make any sudden movements and act normal. Someone revoked my access, someone inside the base. "

"And you think it's a trap. " Sarah concluded.

"Couldn't think of a better place for it. There's practically no cover here, it's secluded and there's only a skeleton crew here during the evening. If there's an inside man he, or she if you prefer, Walker, would know just where to find us," he explained.

Chuck's first instinct was to argue the theory but the grave look on Casey's face stopped him. The Colonel's instinct's had saved their bacon plenty of times in the past and this looked like this might be another one of those times.

"For now, we pretend that nothing's wrong. Walker, you take Bartowski and walk back to my car. Act like you're just picking something up, then pull up beside me. I'll keep watch here and cover you if they decide to act, " Casey said as he slipped Sarah his keys.

"What about you Casey? Like you said you'd be a sitting duck out here," Chuck asked.

"Better than letting them take my team out in one go. Now get going," Casey explained.

"Watch yourself Casey. I wouldn't want to have to track Ilsa down to give her the bad news if you buy it, " Sarah told him.

"Better her than Ellie," he grimly concluded.

Grabbing Chuck's hand, Sarah walked them over to Casey's car. She knew that Chuck was trying to keep a brave face but his sweaty palms gave him away. After what seemed to be eons, they reached the vehicle. Like they had quietly agreed upon, Chuck took the back seat while Sarah slipped into the driver's side, making him a smaller target while giving Casey access to the front passenger side for their getaway. The whole thing went without a hitch, but there was one snag; the engine wasn't turning over. Sarah knew that the vehicle was in working order, having inspected all of the allocated vehicles herself before letting anyone take them out. So if this wasn't a mechanical problem that left... the anti-theft immobilizers. Damn it, Casey was right!

"Chuck, we got a problem. Someone tripped the anti-theft systems on the car. We're dead in the water."

But Chuck wasn't having any of it. "We're not done yet Sarah, there got to be a way. Maybe we can put it in neutral and push. Didn't Casey say they bulletproofed these cars?"

Sarah's reply was lost to him when the sound of explosions filled the air. That could only mean one thing: the assault was on and Casey was right in the middle of it.

A/N: As always, critical reviews and kudos are always welcome.


	19. Chapter 19

A/N: The revised version is now up. Thanks to **garnetflint** for taking a stab at fixing my grammar.

Chapter 19

Acting upon instinct, Sarah threw herself to the ground as the first explosion went off. As soon as a lull had set in, she scrambled around to the car to where Chuck was huddled. Her first priority was to assess whether or not Chuck had any injuries. When asked if anything hurt, he joked, "Just my pride." "At least his sense of humor is still intact," she noted to herself. Pulling the PPK out of her waist holster, she peered out from around the car to scan for hostiles. Much to her relief none had arrived but something was off. Why was the smoke coming from the front of the factory?

"Chuck, something's not right here. Those explosions we heard a moment ago weren't meant for our location," she quietly explained to him.

"Maybe a car spontaneously combusted out front and ignited the gas. The odds of that happening are low, but it's in the realm of possibility. Remember when your plant caught fire?" Chuck asked.

Sarah chuckled at the bizarre scenario he just offered up. Leave it to Chuck to think not just out of the box but outside its area code as well. Even if she secretly wished he was right, it still didn't sync up with what they just experienced.

Shaking her head she told him, "It's a good explanation Chuck but it doesn't account for the other detonations we just heard. Someone is definitely setting those off." As if on cue gunfire erupted near where Sarah had estimated the explosions had originated. "Damn it, we've got to get back to Casey ASAP. Chuck, do you think you're up to helping me push?"

"Wait, you think my idea will work?" Chuck asked in surprise.

"It might. This lot is on a hill so we might be able to get enough momentum to put the car closer to Casey. I doubt with the weight from the bulletproofing that we'd be able make it all the way but we should get close enough to allow me to give him covering fire," Sarah said.

"Good enough for me. Just tell me where to push."

Working together, Chuck and Sarah gave the car a good heave, with him pushing from the passenger side and her from the driver's side. Once the car got moving, they both ducked into the car and Sarah grasped the steering wheel to make sure it ran parallel to the building. The car actually traveled further than Sarah had expected but as predicted was still a ways off from the Colonel. Thankfully they were within sight of him when the car came to a standstill and the two of them waited for him to come over. It was 2 minutes later that Chuck realized that Casey's attention was so focused on the gunfire that he hadn't even noticed the car roll up. Sharing a grin with Chuck for successfully sneaking up on Casey for once, Sarah proceeded to open the door and let loose with a shrill whistle. The look of surprise on the Colonel's face was priceless to say the least.

Keeping as low as possible, Casey readied his best scowl as he headed towards the car. Upon reaching them he growled, "Walker what the hell took you so long? Did you have Bartowski push you all the way over?"

"Not quite Casey, "she replied. "Someone tripped the anti-theft immobilizers so we had to improvise. Looks like you were right after all."

"Figures. The one time you agree with me and we're up to our necks in it," he shot back as he headed around to the back. "Pop the trunk, I requisitioned some gear we can use." A moment later Casey reappeared armed with an assault rifle and wearing a bulletproof vest. He waved them over towards him as he held the rifle at the ready. "Alright Walker, I got vests for you and Bartowski and some smoke grenades we can use. Tang wouldn't let me take out another M4 but I got managed to get my hands on a Mossberg, an old but serviceable bolt-action Remington, and a MP5 with ammo to spare for each. Take your pick."

"Thanks Casey. I'll go with the MP5. There's no telling how many hostiles we've got on our hands," Sarah said as she pocketed some of the spare magazines and chambered a round. Usually she'd inspect her weapon before wading into battle but with time being of the essence that wasn't practical. Besides, if Casey had brought these guns along then they must be field worthy.

"I'm glad to hear that you're learning to share your toys Casey. The progress you're showing really gets me here, "Chuck mentioned as he thumped the area above his heart. "Don't worry big guy, we'll get you sociable in no time flat. With enough progress you might even be ready for a play date with one of Ellie's friends."

"Sometimes I wonder if you're actually certifiable Bartowski," Casey said with what passed for mock disdain. "Alright, playtime's over. I'll take point and you cover the rear Walker. Bartowski, you stick close to Walker and for the sake of everything you hold dear you better stay the hell out of her way."

"I'm surprised you didn't tell me to stay in the car," Chuck muttered in disbelief.

"Knowing you, you'd wander off like a lost puppy as soon as we turn our backs so at least this way we know your location. Also, these guys are packing explosives so the car's armor won't be enough to save your hide in case they flank. I doubt they'll bother discriminating between consultants and field agents when it comes to picking targets."

Sarah frowned at the logic. "I not exactly thrilled with this strategy but I can't think of anything better. Okay Chuck, just make sure to stick to cover and don't move until I give you the word. Are you alright with that?"

"I couldn't think of anyone better to look out for me, "was all Chuck could think to say.

The trio moved up around the building as the gunfire continued to ring out. Peering around the corner, Casey got a chance to survey the situation. Three black vans were spaced out along the front of the building, one of which looked to be partially crushed by a truck now lying on its side. From the looks of things the cargo had taken the brunt of a couple of RPGs and that had tipped the whole mess over. The fact that the shooters were focusing on the vehicle suggested a few things. One: the ambush that was meant for them had been interrupted by an outside party; Two: The same party, whether friend or foe, was pinned down behind the truck's wreckage; Three (the most important point): The newcomer was keeping the hit squad's attention away from the building itself.

Two stragglers were hunched behind the closest van, completely oblivious to the team's presence. Signaling Walker and Bartowski to stay put, Casey slung his rifle and pulled his silenced Colt. Moving with much practiced stealth, he made his way over to the pair. Once he was sure they had finished reloading their weapons he aimed at the one on the left. When the shooting resumed he fired twice into the back of the man, when he was sure that his pistol's action would be masked by the sounds of gunfire. Once his target was down, Casey rushed the other man before he could react. Grabbing his target by the balaclava, Casey slammed his foe's head into the side of the van once, twice and then a third time before letting him fall to the ground.

The whole thing had lasted less than a minute and Chuck was again reminded how brutally efficient the Colonel could be with this type of thing. Mental Note: Try to be an itty-bitty nicer to Casey, Chuck thought to himself.

Waving the others over, Casey took up a defensive position by the van in case he needed to give them covering fire as the others swiftly joined him. Once united, the team fell into old habits as Chuck and Sarah searched the bodies for ammo and comms devices, as Casey looked on. Chuck was always keen to help but was still squeamish about dealing with dead bodies, like any normal person. Still, he volunteered to search the dead man while leaving Sarah the unconscious victim of Casey's carnage to spare her the nightmares that came each time corpse handling was involved.

Thanks to their efforts, they were able to come up with wireless earpieces, some clips for Sarah's MP5 and a USB stick which Chuck pocketed for later perusal. Whoever planned this obviously hoped to catch them all unaware if the gunmen were arrogant enough to bring personal effects to an ambush.

Casey and Sarah equipped themselves with the earpieces as Chuck looked on. For a moment they listened in on the chatter but soon frustration made itself known.

"Damn it, they're using some code I not familiar with!" Casey growled out loud. "Walker, can you make heads or tails out of this gibberish?"

Sarah listened a few more seconds before replying, "The way they're describing the attackers there seems to be only one man. Other than that, the only thing I can gather is that it sounds like they're going to rush the party crasher soon. The first man sounds too excited to mean anything else to me. Chuck, did you see any doorways or anything else we could use for cover?" she asked hopefully.

"Give me a sec," Chuck said quietly. Concentrating as hard as he can, he tried to flash on the cannery after visualizing in his mind the name of the base's cover. For a moment he was deluged with an onslaught of information before canceling the query like he was able to train himself during the late stages of Operation Bartowski. Apparently this wasn't the first location of Nappy's Cannery the CIA used for a base, nor the last in fact, and there was just too much information to sift through. Trying again, he mentally constructed the query with the name AND the location this time and in moments he had a fully constructed map in his mind.

"Bartowski, what the hell did you just flash on?" Casey asked confused. It wasn't like new sensory information just popped into existence.

"I just retrieved the floor plans to this base," he said nonchalantly.

"Damn it Chuck, you promised me no unnecessary flashing. Are you trying to give me a heart attack?!" Sarah hissed at him.

Oddly for once Casey saved him from a tongue lashing. "I wouldn't call this 'unnecessary' Walker. Neither of us had time to familiarize ourselves with the base and we need intel here ASAP if we're going to salvage this situation. I don't care how the hell you managed to get that info Bartowski but I'm willing to hear you out. What do you got?"

Chuck looked like he let his mind wander for a moment before snapping back in to attention. "Let me see... oh yeah there's a fire escape not too far from here. For paranoia's sake it's been camouflaged as a boulder so we wouldn't have picked it up on our own. Like any good fire alarm it locks from the outside unless a fire breaks out... oh wait it's one of those older models. Instead of being unlocked from the inside only when the alarm trips this one can be opened from both sides."

"So that's one of Intersect's new features. Glad to see the damn thing is helpful for once," Casey grumbled. "Walker, I need you to cover me while a pitch a smoke grenade through a window. If the security is as ancient as Bartowski and Black make it out to be that should trigger the alarm."

"Roger that," Sarah said as she got into position. As Casey ducked around the van, she hissed to Chuck, "We are going to have a talk about this later Chuck, and no amount of foot rubs is going to make me forget."

"Yes dear," Chuck squeaked out. She must be real angry if his exalted foot rubs couldn't save the day.

Minutes later, Casey slunk back into position just as the old style alarm klaxons rang out. For a moment it looked to Chuck like he was grinning. "Got good news for once. Looks like the alarm suckered the rest of them into the building. The morons think we're in the cannery and they're planning on rushing us."

"I'm not hearing gunfire either so it's likely that our new friend is down. If we're going to get anything useful out of him we better go now," Sarah added.

"We need to get into the base anyways if we're going to stand a chance so we can grab him on the way. Bartowski, if our mystery man is alive you're grab him while Walker gets the door open. Think you can manage that without blacking out?" Casey asked curtly.

"Yeah, I can manage. If the bad guys show up be a pal and make sure I don't get shot," Chuck answered.

"Well, move fast enough and that won't be a problem."

Using the vans to conceal their movements, the three headed over to the downed truck. In the back of his mind Chuck was thrilled that they others had faith in him enough to trust him with such a task after being thought of as a liability for so long. He just hoped that whoever had disturbed the ambush was still alive and would be friendly enough to share whatever they knew. He'd had enough of "aggressive persuasion" to last him a lifetime.

Rounding the truck, Sarah was the first to spot the figure lying haphazardly on the ground. Whoever he was, he didn't seem to be well funded or able to plan this assault properly, since he came to this firefight wearing nothing but a Hawaiian shirt and khaki pants. His weapon, a Beretta 9mm pistol, lay out of reach of the figure and a quick pat down only revealed a couple of clips and an old scarf in his pockets. With Chuck's help, she was able to turn the man over to inspect his injuries and found that a round had hit him the shoulder. The bruises forming along his face indicated that he had hit his head on the way down after getting shot but he looked like he might recover. After using the scarf as a makeshift tourniquet, Sarah instructed Chuck on the proper way to carry their quarry in a fireman's carry before heading over to the door.

In Chuck's mind the next few minutes seemed to stretch onwards to forever as he pressed himself flat behind the truck's wreckage while Sarah worked on getting the door open. Since it was a fire exit there was no handles on this side so she had to improvise a way to coax them open. The uneasy feelings their new acquaintance inspired in him seemed to collide with the anxiety of waiting for the door to open and end result made Chuck's stomach churn. Just when Chuck was sure their attackers would return, a rush of air hit his face as the sound of something sliding open was heard. Despite his worries Chuck had to smile; his lovely angel had saved their butts again.

Picking up the unconscious man, Chuck hurried through the door behind Sarah as Casey watched their back. Once they all were inside, Casey made sure to close the door behind them to ensure that their position wouldn't be given away. As Casey wrestled the door shut, Sarah gave him a quick peck on the cheek and whispered "Good job" to him before moving back into position. It took all of Chuck's willpower to stay upright when that kiss reduced his knees to rubber, but the grin was harder to shake.

When he rejoined him, Casey asked Chuck, "The hell you so chipper about?"

Not missing a beat, Chuck replied, "Hey, we made it without the baddies finding us. When is that not something to be happy about?"

Casey made Grunt #7 (begrudging acceptance) and let the topic drop. "Alright, we need to make our way to the security and the infirmary. Can you manage it Bartowski?"

"Still got the map in my head," Chuck answered. "Unlike your garden variety Flashes it sticks around until don't need it anymore. After which I can just dump it into the proverbial trash bin."

"You have that much control over it Chuck?" Sarah asked skeptically. "I thought you had an early build in your head."

"I do, but the map making features seems to be at version... 1.04. Neat, I just found an 'About' option for this feature! Anyway, from what I can tell, it was developed independently of the usual pattern recognition and was later added into the Omaha framework. In theory, as long as I can get the correct information I should be able to use this feature without any problems."

Sarah frowned at this. "I can't say that I'm comfortable with this. Like you say, it's just theory at this stage. There's no telling what could go wrong later if the mapping program interferes with the pattern matching in one way or another. "

"Duly noted Walker, "Casey replied. "For now we'll have Bartowski lead us in but in the future we won't be relying on it. From past experience it's best that we don't rely on untested equipment so don't go dredging that up if you can help it Bartowski. I can't afford to babysit a brain-dead nerd right now and I don't have the patience for any moping and/or bellyaching right now if Walker puts you in the doghouse."

"Really Casey, I think..." Sarah started before he cut her off.

"For both our sakes you can knock that crap off. Nobody cares about what you and your boy get up to so you can relax the 'plausible deniability' spiel. The both of you have had the decency to keep the messy stuff out of the op so far, so don't go messing it up now."

The hairs on Sarah's neck stood up. "Does the General know?" she asked, dreading the answer. Casey was loyal to a fault to that woman after all. He didn't get the nickname "Beckman's attack dog for nothing.

Casey shrugged. "Neither of you are in the armed forces nor have your dalliances become an issue to date so I didn't have reason to report it. Hell, you're the only ones I can rely on since I've set foot on this blasted island. For once you two are acting like adults instead like those whiny brats you see on TV and can get the job done without putting me or the mission at risk. Bartowksi actually listens to us now, and you don't have to keep going off mission to pull his fat out of the fire. If I'd known how many headaches and ulcers I could have saved myself from if I'd let you two knock combat boots, I would've campaigned to put Bartowksi on the payroll 2 years ago!"

"Jeez, are we that obvious?" Chuck asked to placate Sarah. She wasn't privy to the fact that Casey caught on that it wasn't just the security system they were re-familiarizing themselves with.

"The lipstick smear on the manual gave it away, but the way you two were making eyes at each other in the past; it was just a matter of time. Next time you can't keep it in your pants get a room first or even better repay Grimes for his past crimes by defiling his couch for once. The pairs of good pants I had to incinerate thanks to that gnome need to be avenged!" Casey finished with an intensity that surprised Sarah.

"I'll... keep that in mind," Sarah lamely. This mission seemed to be getting more surreal all the time. A groan escaped from their latest asset and that at least she knew how to deal with. "Alright Chuck, we'll leave the navigation up to you. We should hit the infirmary first so we can deal with our friend here. "

"You can count on me!" he said as he gave a quick salute and joined Sarah. The way in was a maze of twists and turns, and Chuck was beginning to suspect that the architects had planned for that trick with the fire alarm. Without his knowledge they would have gotten lost and would have starved to death or even fallen prey to one of the several traps that littered the area. Once again Chuck marvelled at the sheer paranoia and the lack of forethought given to booby trapping the fire exits. Wasn't the point of a fire exit to allow people to leave in an orderly and straightforward fashion? Even a trained agent would be hard pressed to remember the way out when faced with the possibility of being burned alive!

Eventually their persistence paid off and the team had come upon a sign pointing the way to the infirmary. According to Sarah legislation prohibited the CIA from purposely giving misleading information on their signs so it looked like they were heading in the right direction.

Once arriving in the infirmary, Chuck carefully placed the man down on the examination table while Sarah gathered medical supplies and Casey kept watch. Once the man was comfortable Chuck got his first good look at the man. His hair was cut short, and fairly recently, as Chuck could catch glimpses of scalp hinting that he had attempted to change his appearance, but the wild beard that dominated his face plus the horrible smell of going unwashed for so long gave him away. This had to be crazy old Badger, who seemed to follow Chuck around like Lester with a bored housewife.

Chuck immediately told Casey who their guardian angel was and immediately demanded that Chuck strap him down to the table. He didn't want the S.O.B. that caused Chuck to get re-uploaded with an Intersect to have a chance to get away. There was much he had to answer for, and many more questions to answer as well. When Sarah arrived with the supplies she was mystified why Chuck had agreed to secure the man but soon agreed with Casey's wisdom as soon as she was filled in. There was no telling what state of mind Mr. Badger would be in when he awoke and she didn't want to risk him becoming violent.

"Okay Chuck, we're going to need to check his head for any injuries. Normally we'd assess the victim where we found him or her but in this case the need to avoid being shot greatly outweighs the risk of agitating the wounds," Sarah explained.

"Makes sense. A sudden injection of hot lead is a sure fire way to kill someone," Chuck replied.

"In order to check him properly we'll have to remove that tangled mess that once was a beard. Since you have a lot more experience with shaving would you mind doing this?" she asked. Chuck was about to mention that leg shaving wasn't that much different than face shaving but stopped himself when his hand nudged part of the beard. The sensation was nasty and oily, too much so for someone so used to Morgan's immaculate beard grooming. No wonder Sarah was hesitant to do the job.

"Alright, I'll do it. I'll start cutting the excess with those scissors you brought while you grab a trash can for the trimmings. Can't have this mess getting everywhere."

"Thank you Chuck," Sarah said gratefully. Even the super-duper agent in her couldn't hide her relief.

The work wasn't pleasant but after a moment Chuck was in the zone. Just like when he repaired computers, he'd let himself get fully absorbed in his task and let the world slip away. In a half hour the jungle became plains and even that had given way under Chuck's diligent hands. For once he was glad that Devon had taught him to use a straight razor even if it never gave him that Awesome shave like he promised. When Sarah returned to check on his progress she gasped ("a sign of the apocalypse!" a rebellious voice cried out in his head) and immediately clamped down on her mouth. In confusion, Chuck looked around for the cause of her distress before following her gaze back down to the table. Coming back to reality, he looked at the man, really looked at him, and not just registered his existence.

It had been some time since he had seen the man that now lay before him. In times past he'd done his best to forget him, had tried to blot him out with busy work, to block the memory, and in his darker moods he had cursed his name before coming to peace with what he had done. A part of him hated him dearly for what he had cost Chuck and, even after all this time, still carried some unnamed nasty emotions towards the man even after he claimed nothing but good intentions. Yes, the man who had sabotaged Chuck's vacation was none other than Bryce Larkin.

A/N: Happy holidays to everyone! I wish you all a safe and fun time this December and I hope to be entertaining you all in the New Year.


	20. Chapter 20

A/N: Much thanks goes to **garnetflint** for playing editor for me this chapter, and to all my readers too!

**Chapter 20**

Chuck grabbed a nearby chair and plopped himself down hard. After all this time, Bryce Larkin once again had returned to muck up his life. You're not being fair here Chuck, he mentally told himself. It wasn't Bryce's fault this time that he'd been uploaded with the Intersect or that bad guys had been drawn to him like a magnet. A small part of him wanted to be able to blame him for this mess but couldn't. The poor guy was working with a malfunctioning brain and couldn't exactly be held accountable for the havoc he may, or may not, have caused. One whiff of his former roommate was enough to dispel any notion that the whole scatterbrain thing was an act. One of Bryce's defining characteristics, a flaw according to Casey, was his persistent sense of vanity. The old Bryce would have died before going around smelling like a dumpster set on fire.

Sarah's voice brought him back from his thoughts. "Chuck, is that really..."

"Bryce?" Chuck finished. "Yeah, it's him alright. I don't think he's been himself for awhile though. Last time I talked to him he didn't seem to recognize me and he's been acting funny too. "

"So, the excessive Intersect usage has been affecting him after all. I warned him against excessive Flashing but you know Bryce always had something to prove."

Chuck thought to himself for a moment. Just how much did it affect a person anyways? "Hey Sarah, " Chuck began. "I know that you hadn't been a part of the project for awhile so you might not know and I'm not going to hold it against you if you don't but how did the excessive Intersect Flashing affect the human brain exactly?"

Sarah cleared her throat in a weak attempt to buy herself time. This wasn't exactly a topic she was happy to touch upon but Chuck needed to know. "I'm sorry Chuck, when I was involved, they hadn't recorded that much information on the effects the Omaha framework had on people. I don't know why, but the higher ups were so eager to get Intersect hosts out into the field that there wasn't much of an acclimatization period for the agents. If the upload process didn't cause any visible problems they were deemed field worthy and put on a mission quickly, sometimes even on the same day."

Chuck's eyes widened at this revelation. "That's crazy! That's nowhere near enough time to properly test the code, and then downloading it into agents without monitoring for side effects? It's madness I tell you. It's like putting a new cold medicine on the market without premarketing trials. Sooner or later people are going to get hurt, or worse."

"I get it, I really do. If it had been up to me I'd have given at least another 8 months on the upload process alone, not to mention the training. Ugh, just thinking about it again makes me mad enough to spit."

"That bad eh?" Chuck asked lightly.

"You have no idea," Sarah said. Chuck could practically feel the frustration lacing each word. "You know how two years ago you were tossed into the deep end without even an orientation? Well I hate to say it, but you were actually better off without your head being filled with that crap some faceless committee came up with. The training manuals were nothing but trash that so comfortably fit into their macho Cold War Warrior mentality at the cost of efficiency. They filled the guides with useless coping techniques we know don't work, and they left out most of the tell-tale signs of a false positive flash that we compiled together during Operation Bartowski. So, most agents are going to end up chasing their tails since they won't be able to tell whether their Flashes are worth a damn or not. The damn guidelines even flat out tell agents not to discuss symptoms of Flash fatigue with their team to 'avoid being considered compromised'. So there's no way to tell if there's something wrong until the host has a psychotic episode or drops dead from a stroke. It's as if they tossed out all of our reports and made things up as they went along!"

"Wow, I never thought all of this meant so much to you," Chuck mentioned to her. "From what you said earlier you were actually eager to leave the Intersect stuff behind."

"I am, it's just that I just wanted to make things easier for other agents that end up becoming hosts. We went through a lot of trouble during those 2 years, and I wanted to help any up and comers ease into the role. It just kills me that they would so carelessly toss out all of our hard work in favour of some back office politics, especially when so many agents are going to end up paying the price."

Chuck nodded to himself as he soaked in her words. Whether it was fixing up some frozen yogurt for a customer or keeping a hapless nerd alive and well, Sarah was never one to leave a job half done. Unfortunately, from what Chuck overheard from Casey in the past and from some of the facility personal, this almost single minded dedication had a habit of alienating people to the point that many had mistaken her determination for cold-bloodedness. Chuck quickly gave Sarah's hand a quick squeeze to display his sympathy and she was able to will herself to relax.

"Sorry Chuck, this whole mess is a sore spot for me. To answer your earlier question, there's no telling how Bryce might behave when he wakes up. Considering his reaction to you Chuck, I wouldn't be surprised if we both appear to be strangers to him," Sarah told him.

"That might be true but parts of his mind must still work. The fact that he managed to figure out that I have some connection to Orion shows that he has some memories intact. Casey told me that one of the cravats of the Intersect project was that all references to my dad being Orion have been scrubbed, or at least they were back when he was a part of the project, so I have to assume that he didn't make the connect from a Flash. "

"So what you're getting at is that we might still be able to get some information from him," Sarah concluded.

"Exactly. Just as long as I do the talking and we don't resort to 'aggressive interrogation' he should be willing to co-operate. Bryce still thinks that he'll get better if the Intersect gets removed and I'm his ticket to that . Heck he was willing to crash that ambush just so that I wouldn't croak," Chuck said.

"Okay, I'll let you interview Bryce but on two conditions. One: I'm in the room with you the whole time," Sarah said firmly.

"Sure, that's no problem for me. What's the other thing?" Chuck asked her.

Sarah continued, "We leave him in restraints the whole time and you keep a healthy distance from him. Like I said there's no way to tell how he will react when he wakes up, and don't forget he did tazer you a couple of days ago."

"Deal."

Sarah first completed the medical examination of Bryce and couldn't find anything more damaging than a few contusions and superficial lacerations on his form. Without an x-ray or feedback from Bryce, there was no way for Sarah to be able to tell if he'd experienced any internal problems. After taking a moment to triple check the restraints, Sarah pulled some smelling salts from the medical cabinet and used them on the dishevelled form of Bryce Larkin. For a moment Chuck wasn't sure they'd worked until Bryce suddenly started and began thrashing around wildly. If Sarah hadn't insisted on tying him down, there was a good chance that Bryce would have done some serious damage to himself.

Chuck waited until he began to tire before he greeted him. "Bryce, can you hear me? It's me Chuck. You got hurt back by the truck so we had to bring you inside. We weren't sure how badly you'd been hurt so we had to keep you nice and snug so you wouldn't accidently make your injuries worse."

"Chuck... Chuck..." Bryce muttered to himself as if trying to piece together a puzzle only he could see. "Chuck is Charles... Charles is Charlie... Charlie!" he exclaimed. "Is it really you? Have you been able to reach Orion? Is it safe?"

"Charlie? Is that what you called me?" Chuck asked out loud. Never in his entire life had anyone called him that, not even his grade one teacher. He'd always been Chuck so the nicknamed confused him. Still, he'd puzzle that one out later. "You know what, forget it. Yeah, I was able to contact him and he called in some help. We looked all over for you at the facility but you weren't there."

"I got hurt and I ended up in the... humidifier?" the man formerly called Badger offered.

"I think you mean 'Hospital', Bryce," Sarah offered.

Bryce, up to that point oblivious to the fact that Sarah was in the room, finally acknowledged her presence and began to panic. "Charlie? Who's that? Were you followed? You said we were safe!"

"We are safe, " Chuck said in as soothing a manner as possible. "This is Sarah. She's a very good friend of mine and an old friend of yours as well. She heard you had gotten hurt outside and helped me bring you in here."

"Friend," Bryce murmured to himself. "I haven't had a friend in a long time. I don't know what to say. Oh wait, I do. 'Thank you', that's it. Boy, it's a good thing mother always reminded me to say that one when someone does something nice for you."

"You're welcome Bryce," Sarah replied as evenly as possible. It was odd that with all of their history that Bryce responded to her so... so... politely. She remembered how tense things had gotten before he disappeared and the difference between then and now was startling.

During their last mission as partners, Sarah had attempted to keep things friendly even though their romantic relationship had fallen apart, and was successful until a few months in. Bryce was becoming more and more irritable by the day and soon fights (verbal ones, not physical ones thankfully) had slowly turned into the norm between the two of them. Eventually he'd begun making irrational accusations, starting with purposely sabotaging their relationship and ending up with her orchestrating the JFK assassination. Even a joke about that being impossible without borrowing a Delorean had set him off and he'd ended up sulking like a child in their shared room. It didn't occur to her until her debriefing that this shift in personality might have been a symptom of his excessive Flashing, and seeing him in his current condition left her feeling as if she had let Bryce down by not spotting it beforehand.

"Say Bryce, I was wondering if I could ask you something. If you don't feel comfortable answering that's okay in my book," Chuck said to him. "So... what have you been up to since you got out?"

Bryce's eyes went wider than the Grand Canyon. "It's important yes, yes? You think I know something. Something very, very, very important. Why do you want to know?"

Sarah locked eyes with him and for once his eyes didn't waver. "We have a nasty situation on our hands Bryce. We have reason to believe that there's a nuclear device on the island and we're not sure if its owners plan on detonating it here or transporting it onto the mainland. There's a good chance that the same people that tried to attack Chuck, I mean Charlie, " Sarah corrected herself, " are involved. Right now the island is in its peak tourist season and that means an awful lot of innocents are going to die if we don't act quickly ."

"To make a long story short, you got on the bad guys blind side and we're hoping that you might have overheard something they didn't want you to," Chuck added.

Bryce went quiet for a moment before replying. "Heads still hazy, the lights make it all jumbley."

"The lights? Oh, the flashes," Chuck said in a deflated voice.

"But if I heard anything I wrote it in my notebook," Bryce mentioned to him. "Helps keep my thoughts together since the lights push the thoughts out. I bring it everywhere I go in my back pocket in case I find something or someone important like you Charlie."

"Would you mind if Sarah and I took a look at your notebook Bryce?" Chuck asked politely. " I promise to give it back afterwards."

"Ok, since you know Orion already there's no harm. I know he's very important to you so you'd know if the blonde lady can be trusted with secrets about him."

"I trust her with my life, and Orion does too," Chuck informed him to calm his doubts and thankfully he didn't need to lie. True, his father trusted Sarah's ability to keep him safe even if he was suspicious of the reasons why she would but Bryce didn't need to know that.

"I'll grab the notebook if you don't mind," Sarah said as she moved in. After checking the restraints again and checking up Bryce's sleeves, she lifted his shirt and grabbed the half folded notebook before slowly backing away. Even with him strapped down Sarah couldn't bring herself to turn her back on Bryce.

Quickly Sarah scanned through the pages of the notebook. Despite the fact that it appeared to be new half of the pages were filled. Much of the writing was incomprehensible to her eyes, none of it resembling Bryce's usual loose cursive. After a few minutes she gave up trying to decipher the chicken scratch and handed it off to Chuck. Chuck did marginally better simple due to the experience of dealing with the drunken scrawls of his fellow Nerd Herders. He managed to pick out a few terms and asked Bryce about them only to be met with half-confused ramblings. As he came to one of today's entries, one word stood out to him: "Juno". The rest of the words made no sense but that could (hopefully) be remedied.

Looking up from the notebook, Chuck asked Bryce, "Hey, there's a name here, Juno I think it is. Is there anything you can remember about this person/place/thingie?"

"Oh, oh, I know this one. I overheard some British person talking about Juno. They said they found Juno's location and were going to move on it soon. It sounds familiar but I can't seem to put my finger on it. I wish I heard more but I overheard they were going to try to kill you so I had to move. Sorry I didn't hear more," Bryce answered.

"That's okay buddy, you may have answered one or two things for us," Chuck replied. "Sarah, are you thinking what I'm thinking."

"If it's about a Juno Intersect facility then yes. If it involves breakfast you're out of luck," Sarah said.

"Nuts!" Chuck said jokingly.

"All kidding aside, it definitely sounds like they went to a lot of trouble looking for this facility. If that's so, that might explain why the people that hit the Omaha facility haven't tried to flee yet. I'm not sure if this has anything to do with the nuclear materials or not. Let's brief Casey before we start speculating," Sarah concluded.

"Brief me about what?" Looking up, Chuck and Sarah saw Casey enter the room with a very quiet Harry Tang slung over his shoulder. For a moment Chuck thought he might have been dead but after a moment noticed his chest move. After depositing Chuck's second nemesis on a cot, he mentioned with a hint of venom, "I found Tang exactly in the same spot as last time. Coward abandoned his post first sign of trouble. Knew it was a bad idea giving him command of even a loser location like this base."

"Geez, that's rough. What happened to the rest of the staff?" Chuck asked apprehensively.

"Dead. Without any leadership they were operating in the dark. The only saving grace was that the civvies that worked here weren't around tonight. No sign of Shaw or Black."

"But if I recall correctly she never worked overnight anyways, " Sarah said. "We'll hunt both of them down later once we have a game plan put together. "

"What about our mystery man?" Casey asked as he nodded to the figure behind Chuck.

"Well, you see..." Chuck said as he moved to the side. He didn't realize it before but he was perfectly blocking Casey's view of Bryce.

"This is starting to feel more and more like a nightmare," Casey muttered to him as he gazed upon the figure strapped to the gurney. Much to his displeasure the man that ended up saving their asses from that ambush was that cocky little twerp Bryce Larkin, and yet something was different since last time the preening peacock barged into one of his ops. There were no witty comments, no attempts to project the Farm's brand of suave, no clichéd attempts to woo Walker, thankfully (he didn't want to puke in front of these three), or even a hint of recollection in his eyes. It was like someone had scooped what made Larkin so obnoxious out of his head and tossed it away. What the hell happened to him?

"its extreme Flash fatigue," Sarah answered to Casey's unasked question. "Bryce was using the Intersect excessively in the months before he disappeared and I'm afraid that it's playing havoc with his mind. He couldn't even recognize me and he keeps calling Chuck 'Charlie'. You know nobody calls him that, it's like... it's like painting an agency vehicle with polka dots. "

Bryce craned his head over to meet Casey's eyes. Oddly enough his face held nothing but confusion and curiosity. "Hello", he said to Casey. "Are you another friend of Charlie's? I hope you are. Charlie's going to help the lights go away so my head don't hurt anymore, so you better not try to kill him. I might have to hurt you."

Casey scoffed. "Big words for somebody tied to a gurney. No hotshot, I'm not going to hurt the nerd. We need his help too believe it or not. These two tell you about the nuke?"

"That people might go boom? Yes they did. I don't want anyone to die so I let Charlie and the blonde lady look at my notebook. That's where I put my thoughts since they can't stay in my head too good," Bryce replied.

"He heard some of the hostiles mention something about finding Juno," Sarah offered to Casey. "We think they might be referring to a Juno Intersect facility."

"Here, on the island? That's crazy Walker! The higher ups all agreed that Omaha and Juno were to be kept separate at all costs in case security was compromised in one facility. Damn it, if they succeed they could put together a fully functional Intersect with all of our secrets!" Casey growled.

"Wow, just... wow. You think that's what they're aiming for Casey? I mean we barely got ours up and running, and just look what it did to Bryce!" Chuck exclaimed. "You think, whoever these guys are, they would be willing to run the risk of severe memory loss or worse happening to their guys?"

"If they decide to put it in one of their own. For my money they might just grab some poor S.O.B. off the streets and keep using them until they burn out. It's not like it's their secrets they have to worry about getting out, " Casey speculated. "For our next plan of action we better focus on letting the General know ASAP what's going on and that means getting the hell out here. "

"Does that mean we've lost the base?" Sarah asked him. One look at his frowning face answered her question. "Damn it, I can't believe we've been infiltrated so thoroughly. Do we have any alternative means to get a secure line out?"

"I've got a laptop at my hotel that will do the job. I was using it to report to General Beckman so all of the usual security features in place," Casey responded. "The only problem is finding a safe house to set up in. Since we may or may not be fugitives from the law we can't afford to stick around my motel room in case the manager called the tip line."

Suddenly Chuck had an idea "How about Morgan's place?" he volunteered. "Anna and Morgan definitely won't go tattling to the police about us and I know for a fact that they have internet. Plus if I play my cards right I could convince Morgan to let Bryce crash there. "

Casey frowned. It's true that they needed someone sympathetic to their cause right now but he was loath to put the fate of the op into civvies hands, especially those of Morgan Grimes. It's true that the gnome was loyal to Bartowski but then again, he buckled under the slightest of pressure. He already knew about Walker's true profession but Casey had enough sense not to make a stink about it. It wasn't Walker's fault that FULCRUM goons had no qualms about airing dirty laundry and they couldn't rectify the problem without drawing the ire of Wu's father.

Still, there weren't any other feasible options right now. "Walker, what do you think?" he asked. "Can we trust Grimes and Wu?"

"Better than we can trust Black right now. She's the only other person with a private residence here and she's still a suspect for the leak," Sarah concluded.

"I was afraid you'd say that," Casey said. Moving over to the cot that held Harry Tang, Casey grabbed him by the shirt collar and hauled him up before smacking him awake. Apparently he'd only fainted and had not been knocked unconscious like Chuck originally suspected.

"Wake up Tang, the base has been compromised!" Casey bellowed into his face.

"Wow, he must be angry," Bryce whispered to Chuck and for once he couldn't help but agree with nemesis #1.

"Wha... Casey! I was just resting my eyes. I'm still on break, so tell Big Mike..." Harry babbled. The shock plus Casey's voice had put his mind into a time warp to 2 years ago.

"We're not at the Buy More moron! You royally screwed up this time and no amount of weaseling is going to change the fact! A high number of hostiles have infiltrated the base and most of your staff is dead! We have to evacuate now or else we'll be next, so what are you going to do about it?" Casey bellowed into his face. Normally Chuck would have chastised him for so being rough with somebody who had just fainted, but right now he couldn't bring himself to care.

For a moment Harry remained quiet and kept that deer-in -the-headlights look plastered on his face. Chuck thought he was about to pass out again when Harry spoke up. "The garages! I mean we can get out through the garage, you know where we kept the company vehicles. I usually keep it under lock and key so that the slackers can't burrow them."

"That should work. The garage opens out through an ancient carwash a few miles away from the cannery," Chuck chimed in.

"How the hell do you know that Bartowski?" Harry asked. He wasn't sure why a loser from the Buy More like Chuck was there to begin with and it made him feel uneasy that he had access to those little secrets only a few people should know.

But before he could voice those questions, the blonde secret agent cut him off. "That's right, I remember going through there when you gave me that rust bucket Tang. Since that area is isolated from the rest of the base there should be less of a chance of running into hostiles there. "

"Sounds like we got ourselves a plan. So here's the formation. Walker will take point while I bring up the rear, " Casey said as he moved to the gurney where Bryce was still strapped down. Undoing the restraints, he firmer but more gently pulled Bryce to his feet before pushing him towards Chuck. "Bartowski will keep an eye on our friend here and Tang will follow behind."

"What about me? I got gun training," Harry spoke up.

"Do you have any actual field experience?" Casey asked him. When Harry shook his head "no", he continued, "Then stick to the formation. I don't want you accidently shooting any of us. Besides, the armoury has already been overrun so you can forget about arming yourself."

"Can I have a gun?" Bryce asked.

"No," came the resounding response from Team Bartowski.

Moving quietly through the base, the group was on high alert. Thanks to the map schematics Chuck had in his head they were able to access some secret passages that even Harry wasn't aware of to move through the facility. For the most part they were able to avoid detection but a few times the group had to stop while Casey or Sarah went up ahead to deal with the hostiles. As a testament to their training Chuck never saw a hint of blood on the group or on their clothes that hinted at the violence they'd just visited on some unsuspecting gunman. The only indication that anything had occurred were the occasional shell casings that he almost stumbled upon and in those instances Chuck quickly pocketed them.

_"Cleaning up after my girlfriend. Ellie would be so proud," _Chuck blithely thought to himself as he stuffed Sarah's spent casings into his pocket.

After what seemed forever they finally found themselves at the car garage. Like the rest of the base there were no windows indicating what time it was but from the yawn Chuck stifled it had to have been late. Taking a quick peek at his watch confirmed it was late, or rather early depending on your point of view. It was already 5:00 in the morning! _"Time really does fly when you're fearing for your life," _he mused to himself.

The lot didn't have much in the way of the exotic cars Chuck had expected. All of them were serviceable but aside from an old Mini Cooper none of them would be out of place parked beside a McDonald's. Or so he thought. He found Casey in front of a Dodge Charger marveling at the near pristine condition. Chuck wasn't a car guy by any means but he could recognize it from episodes of Dukes of Hazard.

"I'd love to take that one for a spin sometime," Sarah said as she sidled up beside Chuck. "But we're going to need something with 4 doors."

"I know, I know. A Guy can dream though, " Casey said as he walked over to a slightly newer Toyota.

"I thought all of your dreams involved guns and/or explosions," Chuck joked.

"Well not ALL of them do, " Casey shot back. Turning to address the others, Casey outlined their next step. "Okay, here's what's going down. Bartowski, Walker and myself are taking our guest here to a safe house in an area that's off the Agency's books. Tang, you're to head over to Hickam Air Force Base and report to Colonel Fielding. The higher ups need to be made aware of our situation ASAP and you're our best bet for making contact."

"Why don't you go if this is so important? Why trust me if I'm such a screw up?" Tang sneered at him. Now that he sensed that they needed him he'd regained some of his arrogance.

"Someone gave the cops false information about a crime that went down yesterday and gave descriptions of me, Walker and Bartowski. Trust me, if the cops weren't watching the ferries I'd handle this myself," Casey explained to him.

"Plus it gets him out of our hair for awhile," Sarah whispered to Chuck.

Casey looked down his nose at Harry. "Is that going to be a problem Tang?"

"No sir, Colonel sir," he said sneered at Casey. Unfortunately for him having a rogue nuke floating around on U.S. soil had severely lowered Casey's tolerance for sarcasm. With a speed that surprised even Sarah, Casey grabbed Tang by the neck and slammed him against a nearby pillar.

"I don't think you understand the gravity of the situation, " Casey growled to him between clenched teeth. "We got ourselves a nuclear device floating out there! You know the eggheads believe that there's enough to take out the entire island and some of the surrounding ones too. We need everyone on board now and that means following orders to the letter. No games, no squabbles, and definitely no going off script to curry favors with the higher ups. Do I make myself clear?"

For once Harry held his tongue under the intense scrutiny of one Colonel John Casey out of fear of setting the larger man off. Mistaking his silence for subordination, Casey continued. "I see that certain concepts such as duty and honor are lost on you so I'll explain again in terms even a maggot like yourself can understand. Either do your job," he said as he tightened his grip, " or I'll have to reprimand you myself. Got it?!"

In that moment, Harry nodded his head with a fervor that he hadn't felt in years. He shook so violently that Chuck thought his head might pop off.

"Good. Now get us the keys to the car and be on your way. We're losing daylight."

Casey let Harry loose and Tang landed on his feet before steadying himself on the pillar. Without a word he dashed into the nearby office where the keys were kept and pushed the keys to the Toyota inro Casey's hands. And with that he stepped into the Charger and drove off, stomping so hard on the accelerator that the rubber squealed. For once Chuck was glad to be on Casey's good side after seeing the pants wetting fear in Harry's eyes.

"Just had to take the nice one, " Sarah noted.

"Nuts, I wanted to ride in the Dukes' car," Bryce earnestly added.

"Looks like I got a phone call to make, " Chuck said as he pulled the cell phone out of his pocket. "Hey buddy, this is Chuck," he spoke into the phone before being barraged by Morgan's questions. After the deluge had tapered off, he took a deep breath and said to his bestest best friend in the world, "Morgan, I got a favor to ask of you..."

A/N: Reviews and suggestions are always welcome.


	21. Chapter 21

A/N: Thanks goes to **garnetflint **and **jaytoyz** for being my beta readers on this chapter and to all readers new and old.

Chapter 21

The four of them stood in Morgan's kitchen while they waited for the connection to the General to be established. Anna had graciously lent the team a webcam so that everyone could be seen in the teleconference but even so they'd squeezed in as close as possible. Casey insisted that everyone be seen to avoid surprising the General and the Director, and to "give the illusion that the operation was professional and not the jerry-rigged mess that it truly was," as he succinctly put it. Chuck had managed somehow to convince Morgan and Anna to vacate the apartment for the duration to preserve what little secrecy remained so the apartment was void of the usual morning hustle and bustle. Sarah didn't know how he convinced the two to run errands at 6:00 in the morning so she attributed to one of those Jedi Mind Tricks© he mastered while dealing with the angry customers that frequented the Nerd Herder desk.

The image of General Beckman appeared on the screen alongside Director Mason. Despite the early hour both appeared to be as immaculate as usual, not even a hair out of place. Even so, Chuck wondered to himself if either had gotten any sleep since the Omaha Facility had been breached days ago.

Casey briefed them on the situation, excluding any mention of Chuck and Sarah's entanglement in the security booth and the fact that Anna and Morgan were now privy to Sarah's true profession. Once he was done Chuck mentally braced himself for the imminent explosion. He didn't know Director Mason but he knew for a fact that General Beckman didn't like to hear bad news. That frown she now wore usually was the prelude to something terrible in their immediate future.

"So I'm to understand that not only do we have former FULCRUM agents running around the island in possession of a nuclear device, but also the closest CIA base has been compromised and that you three have been implicated in murder?" Beckman summarized. "Is there more you'd like to share with us Colonel or does this fill your quota of bad news for the day?"

"I'm afraid that's not all General," Casey said. "I'm positive now that there's been a leak at the base otherwise it would have been impossible to carry off those last two points."

"Wonderful. That takes us out of the investigation entirely. There's no way we can get another agent out there in time without raising some red flags," Beckman bemoaned.

"There might be a way to check if the police had uncovered something, " Sarah offered. "Chuck's friend Anna does work for the upcoming festival and Chuck could have her see if something unusual was uncovered there without alerting suspicion."

"Not a perfect solution but it might work. Good call agent," Mason said to her. As Chuck had mentioned to his dad earlier, praise was rare after all in spycraft. "How are we on the leak? Do we have any suspects?"

"There are only two people that we're aware of that were privy to all of our movements on the island. The first is Jordan Black and the other is... Daniel Shaw, " Sarah finished hesitantly. She was loath to insinuate that the CIA's golden boy might have been a traitor the whole time. That type of thing could sink her career if she was wrong.

"Are you sure about this Agent?" Director Mason asked. "Agent Shaw's track record has been nothing but pristine to date. Surely he's not involved in the leak."

"But Agent Walker is correct to include him in the list of suspects. We cannot ignore the fact that your Agent Shaw was fully aware of our team's movements these past few days. He must be investigated as well as Agent Black, if for no other reason than to eliminate him as a candidate for the leak," General Beckman concluded firmly. In a funny way it was the closest thing to praise that Sarah had gotten from the older woman since Operation Bartowski began.

"Let me confer with my colleague for a moment, " Mason said briskly before the feed winked out. Chuck was unsure what the protocol was so he remained standing rigidly.

"He sounded angry," Bryce noted to the team. Casey was about to make a cutting remark but one look from Sarah silenced him. The look was a silent plea and not the warning like he expected so he held his tongue. The mix of sadness and pity looked out of place on Graham's Troubleshooter and Casey didn't want to give any more grief to the one of the very few people in the field he'd come to trust.

"Yeah, I'd be angry too if I'd just been told that one of my top employees might have been working behind my back too," Chuck replied.

A moment later the feed was re-established. Directory Mason looked like someone just kicked his puppy. "Alright team, we've discussed our next plan of action and here's what needs to be done. Mr. Bartowski, see if you can convince your friend to see if the police have uncovered anything. Once that is done, the three of you will have to question Agents Black and Shaw on their movements over the last 48 hours. For now treat both as being armed and dangerous."

"And what about Bryce er... Agent Larkin," Chuck brought up. "I don't think it's a good idea to expose him to anything that might cause him to Flash. The Intersect done something wonky to his mind so I don't think he'd be able to help right now."

"Unfortunately with the base lost there's no other safe houses available on the island. Since the end o f the Cold War there hasn't been a need to maintain one. You'll have to make your own accommodations for him during the operation. If you cannot secure him I'm afraid we'll have to take extreme measures," General Beckman explained.

Chuck didn't like the mention of "extreme measures". The higher ups only used euphemisms when killing came up.

"I don't think that will be necessary General," Sarah spoke up. "There are a few friendlies in the area we can recruit for help. If pressed for an explanation of his behaviour we can say that Agent Larkin experienced brain trauma during an accident. "

_"And to be honest it wasn't far from the truth,"_ she thought to herself.

"Very well, we'll leave the situation in your capable hands. Don't disappoint us agents," General Beckman said to them before cutting the feed.

"Well... that went well, " Chuck said out loud to himself and vowed to expand his vocabulary. That was way too many "wells" for one sentence. "I think," he appended. Feeling a vibration from his phone, Chuck fished it out of his pants and read a text from Morgan. "Hey guys, Morgan said he and Anna are done their grocery shopping. You still need them out of here?"

"Can't think of anything else that's Eyes Only," Sarah replied. "You can give them the all clear."

"Great." Chuck exchanged texts with his bestest best buddy in the world before looking up again. "Ok guys, they'll be back in a moment. And don't worry Casey, Morgan made sure to pick up some Hot Pockets. I know they're your favorite."

"You're all heart Bartowksi," the Colonel sarcastically responded. Even after all this time he wasn't sure if the nerd was being serious or not, at least he hoped he wasn't. He only ate those greasy pucks out of necessity and not preference. It would be wasteful to buy anything edible when you had to ship out at a moment's notice and Mrs. Casey didn't raise a wastrel. "At least tell me there's coffee in this place."

Minutes later Chuck handed Casey some of the best damn coffee he'd had in years. Walker told him he was in for a treat and by golly the lady spook was dead on. Knowing the eating habits of the ex-Buymorians (thanks to their proximity to his surveillance of Chuck) he was surprised that they'd know quality grounds at all. Grimes had the diet of a goat and Wu guzzled anything with caffeine in it. Neither displayed anything approaching discriminating taste.

The front door opened and out of instinct Casey reached for his gun. As his fingers brushed the metal a voice rang out, "Hey guys, we're back!" That was Morgan Grimes, no doubt about it. He couldn't forget that voice even if he wanted to. And oh how he wanted to.

A more tan than he remembered Anna Wu popped in before putting some shopping bags down and shooting Casey a salute. "Greetings Major Killjoy. How's the black ops business going?" she joked with him.

"That's classified Wu. You know, the _I'd-tell-you-but-I'd-have-to-kill-you_ kind of stuff. And I've been promoted since I left Burbank, so it's Colonel Killjoy to you."

Undaunted Anna replied "Aye-aye Colonel sir." Out of all the people he'd encountered in this life, Wu was the one of the handful that he wasn't able to intimidate without a blowtorch in hand.

"Go to say, I'm surprised your boy-toy agree to let Larkin in here at all. Way Bartowski tells it, Grimes hates his guts worst than I hate rat-bastard commies."

"Well..." Anna began. "He still does but since Chuck explained things and Morgan owes him like a billion favors by now, how he could say no? Besides, look at him now. I never met the preppy before today but even I can tell that his brain is all out of whack. Being nasty to him now would be like booting a puppy into the stratosphere."

"If you spent any time in that jackass's presence before he ended up like that you'd reconsider," Casey informed her. He considered adding more but the entrance of Grimes and the others convinced him to change his mind. Grimes had at least enough sense to brief Wu on the punk sooner or later. "So where do you think we should start?" he asked Sarah.

Misinterpreting who he was addressing, Morgan replied, "Well... you can help with the groceries, but personally I think you better delouse the not so esteemed Mr. Larkin first. He smells like a zoo. Who knows what he's been rolling around in?"

"Morgan, cut that out! You make him sound like a dog," Sarah interjected. "But we should get Bryce cleaned up soon. I wouldn't put it past him to have been skulking around in dumpsters right now."

"And he didn't think to get cleaned up? Boy, whatever he did to his head must have done some major damage, like worse than headbutting a car speeding towards you," Anna noted.

"Yeah, Bryce isn't in such good shape right now, " Chuck told her. "But I hear that there might be something that can be done for him when we no longer have to worry about being blown up."

"Where is the little turd anyways?" Casey asked. Leaving Larkin unsupervised was like leaving a grenade lying around without the pin, in his humble opinion.

"Don't worry Casey, he's just playing Morgan's Super Nintendo. Trust me, having him parked in front of the screen with Mario Kart on is a million times more efficient than tying him up," Chuck stated with authority. "The siren call of Mario Kart is the only thing that could distract Bryce from the loveliest of co-eds."

"Still, best someone keep an eye on him in case he gets bored with your computer games. Who knows what that moron could get up to behind our backs?"

Morgan nodded along with Casey's logic. "Like framing Chuck for something nefarious, like the Lindbergh baby nabbing. I hear you Casey. I'll watch him like a hawk!"

"Thanks for volunteering buddy, I owe you like a million," Chuck told him.

"One million and four but who's counting?" Morgan replied. "Sounds like you guys got your hands full with stuff. Got a mountain of paperwork to sort through?"

"Something like that, " Sarah said. "We need to track down a co-worker of ours but I haven't been able to reach her cell."

"You been working with her long? Maybe she's just been wrapped up with one of her hobbies right now or something. Remember when we needed to track Skip down?" Anna asked Chuck.

"Yeah, he was with his guild at the time. I have to admit I didn't realize he was so much into LARPing."

"LARPing?" Casey mouthed to Sarah.

"Live Action Role Playing, Casey. Think of it like Civil War re-enactments but with foam swords and in your stereotypical fantasy setting, " Sarah filled him in. If nothing else her time in Burbank gave her an education on all things nerdy that she'd been deprived of all her life. "But still, I don't think any of us got a chance to really get to know her after only a couple of days."

"That's not true. We know she has a daughter that she loves a whole lot, " Chuck amended to her statement. "Hey, I just had an idea. You think she might be at her school?"

"Sorry man, school's been out all week," Morgan told him. "The Harvest Festival's basically an excuse for a week long break over here. That's why the lineup at the Arcade was heavy. "

"She might be home then. Hey Sarah, you think she might be in the phone book?" Chuck asked her hopefully.

Sarah thought about that for a moment. "I doubt it. Most agents wouldn't let anyone get a hold of their location so easily."

"But she hasn't been a field agent for ages, and from what I recall from her profile she only had one mission. She's probably lost most of that discipline by now," Casey noted. "Desk Jockeys tend to let those instincts go to pot fairly quickly."

"Give it a shot," Anna said as she tossed the local phonebook on the table. "I'd suggest looking her up online but I can imagine you're all too paranoid for that. "

"Thanks Anna, you're right. No need to create a digital trail if we can avoid it, " Sarah to her thankfully. It took her a moment to find Jordan's address but luckily having the last name "Black" was less common on the islands than anywhere else she'd been. Like Casey predicted her home address was in the book just before a William Blazkowicz but after Justin Bailey. Sarah tore off a piece of a nearby notepad and jotted down the address.

Sarah gave the address to Casey, "We lucked out. If memory serves right I think it's just 20 minutes away." At the moment Chuck's phone started playing Jimmy Buffet's Margaritaville, which meant one thing: Shaw was calling. Chuck had chosen the ridiculous ringtone for Shaw's burner and recognized it instantly. Without a word he passed the phone over to Sarah who instantly went into Agent Mode as soon as the familiar song began.

In quiet tones Sarah conversed with the stoic agent for a minute, her face a studied blank. Chuck began to envision several worst case scenarios in his head as he studied her reaction but before he could iron out the kinks Sarah clicked the phone off. "Our other missing agent just called me. He said he got some important intel to share but wanted to meet somewhere less visible."

"You mean like that cannery we dropped you off at last night?" Morgan asked. "I hate to say it but I'd be worried about meeting up in the middle of nowhere right now. If my intensive study of Slasher movies has taught me anything it's that people usually get off'ed when they're alone. Well that and stay away from Indian burial grounds. Those are always a magnet for trouble."

"Wise words my friend but sadly we also need to stay out of sight right now," Chuck told him. "But don't worry. Sarah's a lot more deadly than your garden variety Slasher movie teenager."

"Plus I'll be heavily armed. Don't worry Morgan, nothing bad has ever happened to Chuck while he was with me and I don't plan on changing that anytime soon, " Sarah added.

"Looks like we'll have to split up then," Casey decided. "Our first person of interest might rabbit at any time and there's no telling where #2 might get up to if we leave him in the wind for too long. Walker you check in with him and take Bartowski in case there's computer stuff . I'll see about the desk jockey."

"Okay, but what about the A.P.B. put out on you? Without a disguise you'll be spotted in a minute, " Sarah noted.

"Oh, we got some old costume stuff lying around. Morgie got a fake mustache that would look right at home on you and I got the perfect wig for you," Anna spoke up. "Trust me, when we're done not even your own mother would recognize you,"

"I know I'm going to regret this but the mission comes first. Alright Wu, let's see what you got. I'm trusting you here so don't try to make me look like one of those weird Japanese cartoons, " Casey muttered as he was lead out of the room.

"$10 says he ends up looking like Tom Selleck," Chuck said to Sarah as they stepped out of the house.

Sarah chuckled as she linked arms with him. "I wouldn't take that bet for a dollar. Shall we?"

0-0

Daniel Shaw alone stood in an industrial area, looking oddly at peace for once. Soon everything would be falling into place. Years of planning would come to fruition. Now to make sure that the situation has not changed.

Dialling in a number into his burner cellphone, Shaw raised the phone to his head and was soon greeted by a distorted voice. Obviously his contact would be using a voice synthesizer to obscure his or her identity. "Everything is in place and the football is almost ready for kickoff. How are things on your end?" the voice queried him.

"Nothing short of perfection, " Shaw replied. His lips slowly spread into a smile and for once he could actually feel the happiness behind it. "Just perfect."

A/N: I always hated the nickname of "Wildcard" for Sarah since it didn't reflect her at all and thus gave her the more apt "Graham's Troubleshooter". If anything, she's been consistent in her reliability on her ops and not unpredictable like a real wildcard would be. Carina would have been a better fit for such a nickname. It's just one of my pet peeves about the later seasons.

Oh, and Anna knew about Casey's old rank since part of his Buymore cover was that he was honourably discharged from the army and settling back into civilian life.


	22. Chapter 22

A/N: Thanks to everyone that Favorited and Followed this story. Sorry if this took forever to write. Writer's block hit me hard, especially for Casey's scenario, and I've had other responsibilities to attend to. I'll try to keep time between chapters shorter.

Thanks goes to **garnetflint **for giving this a once over and helping me smooth over the rough edges.

**Chapter 22**

Getting out the car, Casey took a moment to marvel at the disguise Wu and Grimes had thrown together at the last minute. As ridiculous as he looked at least he wasn't recognizable anymore. Not like anyone would cop to knowing him now. The bright red mustached pasted to his face with a matching afro wig and Technicolor Hawaiian shirt made him quite the fashionable pariah to the point that even the utilitarian in him had to cringe. But yet oddly enough he didn't stick out as much as he'd originally anticipated. The people that flocked to the island didn't seem to fair much better in that department so ironically the ugly ensemble helped Casey blend in better than his usual attire.

It was a good thing too since Casey had opted for Wu to drop him off a few block from Black's home so he could help avoid attention. The townhouse in which she was residing was in a popular area that became even busier during the Festival week. As Grimes explained it was common for folks to rent out a room or two to tourists unable to find a hotel with vacancies ,so one more tourist wandering around wouldn't draw attention. At least it made it easier to catch Black unaware and he'd need that element of surprise without a vehicle of his own.

After making sure Larkin was still occupied in the backseat with Grimes' old Game Boy, Casey made one more sweep of the area before turning to the occupants in the front seat.

"You sure you don't us to stick around? I do have a bit of time before we need to be back at the staging area," Anna offered.

"No, it's best that I keep your involvement my activities to a minimum. I don't know if you have noticed but things are getting hairy right now and containment will be harder with more people involved, " Casey replied._"Plus I don't want to worry about babysitting civvies while interrogating Black," _he added to himself.

"Hey you wanna lone wolf it go for it. Don't want to cramp your style after all," Morgan added. He fished around in his pockets before pushing a couple of twenties into Casey's hands. "Here, you're going to need this if you need to get anywhere else on your own. The buses are mess today so a taxi is your best bet. Just make sure they don't try to take you on the highway or you'll be stuck in traffic worse than L.A,'s while the meter runs up."

Casey made grunt #35 (mildly grateful). He was expecting the furball to be his usual useless self so the advice was appreciated. "Thanks Grimes. You too Wu. Don't know why you two are so keen to help but I won't look a gift horse in the mouth."

Wu shrugged. "Us former Buy Morians stick together no matter what so it's no problem. Plus I still owe you for Boxing Day '08."

"And I never forget a favor done for my lady," Morgan commented. "Good luck saving the day Casey," he added before the car pulled away. Casey shook his head. He could write book about unit loyalty, but department store loyalty was something new to him. It was ridiculous to imagine either of them having anything resembling honour but here they were sticking to their bizarre code on his behalf. In any case, he found himself with an unexpected source of support in this pit of tourists and he had to wonder about the irony that he had to rely on the third most unreliable duo he's ever met.

Before walking up to the house Casey circled the block looking for anything suspicious. Aside from a beat-up van nothing was out of place and a quick peek through the passenger side window eliminated it from his list of potential hostiles. It was too full with lumber to be used for surveillance by even the most dedicated of teams and the way the chocolate bar wrapper had leaked chocolate all over the passenger seat suggested that this car had been left unattended for quite some time. Satisfied that nobody had Black under surveillance he walked to the front door and rang the bell. In broad daylight and without the proper authorization Casey couldn't sneak in the back without worrying about some Good Samaritan calling the police on him.

Casey's right hand settled on his hip, leaving it close to his concealed piece, while he rang the doorbell with his left. A moment later a disheveled Jordan Black came to the door, a stuffed lion in hand and a perplexed look on her face. She had changed from her pantsuit into jeans and a blouse but the rings under her eyes suggested that her evening had been anything but restful. _"Maybe she hasn't slept at all_,_"_ Casey thought to himself and his suspicions about the desk jockey began to grow.

"Who the..." She began before squinting at him. "Colonel Casey, is that you? What are you doing here? Did something happen? And why are you dressed so loudly?" She asked him.

"Can't talk about it in the open. You mind if I come in for a little?" Casey asked.

"Oh, yes, you're right. Sure, you can come in but I'm afraid you'll have to keep it brief," Black mentioned before beckoning him inside. Casey stepped in and let the air conditioning wash over him. The heat in the tropics wasn't much different from Burbank's but for someone used to colder weather like himself he was happy for the break in the humidity. In the corner by the door Casey spotted a pink suitcase and more questions came up.

"Let's skip the small talk. The base got hit last night by a large force of unknown assailants and you're been out of communication since then. Why didn't you try to contact us when you got the alert?" Casey asked calmly as he stared a hole into Black.

Black replied, "The alert? Colonel I'm not sure if you were aware but the Intersect Facility and the Cannery are treated as separate entities and they have their own communication protocols. The only way I could have gotten that alert you mentioned was if I'd been there myself and I wasn't. I promised my little girl that I'd help her with her homework and I didn't want to keep putting it off if I didn't have to."

"So you were home then?" Casey concluded. Considering that her file stated she was divorced and had custody the union's sole child that made sense. Still, this declaration did nothing to satisfy his doubts. "A neat little explanation Black. Simple, logically and best of all there's no way for me to verify that now. Tell me Agent, why should I believe that you were where you said you were?"

"Colonel Casey, what are you saying?"

"The attack we experienced last night was an inside job, no question about it. All of the security protocols were effortlessly bypassed and my team was almost herded into an ambush. You had enough security clearance that you could have orchestrated this attack and when I come to clear you off the list of suspects I find you getting ready to leave town, " Casey listed to Black. "To make a long story short, I have several reasons why I think your story is suspect. So please, explain to me why I should believe you."

Black looked mortified by Casey's explanation, but as he was well aware of, agents are taught to fake their reactions well enough to appear genuine. "Are you accusing me of treason Colonel Casey?" she asked. "That... that's ridiculous! I knew some of the people that worked there, I used to have lunch with Cheryl in Logistics before she transferred from the facility! I love my country and my job is amazing too. Do you know of any other organization that gives you the benefits and the flex hours that the Agency offers?"

But Casey wasn't having any of that. "Cut the chatter Black, playing the victim won't help you here. I'm here to get answers and I won't have you stalling anymore. The airports are under guard and you know that no boats are getting off the island. So Question #1: who would be helping you get off the island?"

Before Black could answer, the sound of a door creaking open upstairs could be heard and by instinct Casey went for his gun. _"So whoever she was working with was in the building already. Perfect,"_ Casey thought to himself as he got into position.

Turning so that his view of the staircase was better, Casey moved behind Black so whoever was there wouldn't be able to fire without hitting Black. To his shock, instead of a weathered operative a little girl of about six years of age stepped into view. She had blond ringlets and her eyes had the same shade of blue her mother had. For once his vaulted instincts were wrong and an innocent almost paid the price. A small part of him felt ashamed while the operative in him cursed the misstep. His attempts to prep Black for grilling had gone wrong and he was losing control of the situation.

"Momma, is everything okay? I heard shouting before," she asked her mother as she went down the stairs. Thanks to Casey's current location she didn't see that he was pointing a gun towards her.

Moving faster than he'd thought possible from the desk jockey, Black pivoted and swatted the gun out of Casey's hand before moving to her daughter. "I'm sorry Ester sweetie, I hope we weren't too loud," she said as she bent down to her. "John from work just told me some bad news and I might have overreacted a bit. Why don't you go next door and say goodbye to Sandy while the grownups talk."

"What about daddy? What if he gets here and I'm not back, " Ester asked her mother.

"Don't worry, I'll be waiting here for him when he gets here," Black said she shepherd her into the kitchen. She peeked through the kitchen door until the backdoor clicked shut. By the time she turned around Casey had regained his pistol. However, instead of pointing it at her like expected he left it hanging by his side.

She shot her own nasty look at Casey, her eyes never wavering from his. "I don't know what the hell goes through your head you goddamn ape. Who in their right mind points a gun at a child?"

"Do you expect me to apologize?" Casey replied curtly. He'd had no intention of harming young Ester but he didn't want to give Black the comfort. His training dictated that he let the subject believe he was capable of anything to intimidate them.

"I expected you to show some restraint but I guess Beckman doesn't look for that in an attack dog, " she spat at him. "Ask your questions and get the fuck out of my house. You come near my daughter again I will make you eat that piece, you hear me?"

"Crystal clear. So sunshine, where were you last night starting at 7:00," Casey asked her.

"I just got home after picking Ester up from a friend's house. We were having leftovers so I didn't need to pick up any groceries, in case you were wondering. After that I helped Ester with her homework, watched some TV together and put her to bed around 8:00," Black recapped.

"There got to be more than that. Those bags under your eyes says you've been up a good chunk of the night," Casey pointed out.

"Smooth. I can see you aced Charm School," Black pointed out sarcastically. "Yes I've been up all night trying to hunt down my ex-husband who decided to take a vacation to France with wife#2 without telling me. "

"You that clingy with all the men in your life?" Casey asked not too subtly.

"No you asshole, we promised during the divorce that we'd tell each other when we were going on vacation in case something comes up and the other has to look after Ester. Neither of us have much family left so there wasn't anyone else we could ask to look after her. In this case I wanted to get Ester off the island until the situation was resolved and since I couldn't leave he'd have to come get her," Black explained.

"Don't tell me you told your ex about the nukes?!" Casey grumbled. If word got out a panic would erupt and muddy the waters even further.

Black sighed. "I know better than that and you should be ashamed for even mentioning that possibility. No, I didn't tell him anything about the situation on the island. All I said was that I have to go to D.C. in a couple of days on short notice and I was wondering if he'd come pick her up since I didn't have time to fly with her to Europe. Neither of us are comfortable with Ester flying alone at her age so it made sense. He didn't question my story either since he hasn't seen her in ages and has been feeling guilty about it."

"Thus the suitcase," Casey offered.

"You think a full grown woman would travel around with a Hello Kitty suitcase?" she asked him as she motioned to the bright pink suitcase.

"I've seen weirder things," Casey muttered. "So do you have any way to corroborate your story? From what I've heard you haven't given me much to go on."

"You haven't given me any reason why you think I'd be responsible for that carnage!" Black snarled at him. "Fine, if you're so damn paranoid you can look at my phone records. I called my ex's house a few times, I called up some of his friends and I spent 2 hours dealing with an idiot desk clerk that was clearly stoned out of his mind. My ex's friends can corroborate that I spoke to them and that my ex was staying at the hotel I called up. Call the police up and say it's for the investigation. With all of the intel requests I doubt they'll be suspicious."

"I'll keep that in mind, "Casey said noncommittally. Apparently she wasn't aware about the APB put out with his description. Even with his disguise the description was just too vivid for him to attempt coming even near 5-0's finest.

"Why the hell do you think that I did it anyways? I wasn't the only one given access you know. Besides Mr. Tang and the Quartermaster, Agent Shaw had the same clearance that I did," Black mentioned.

"Wait, Shaw was given access? Why wasn't I made aware of this?!" Casey demanded.

"I don't know. I assumed that since you were given lead on this operation you'd be in the loop about those matters. The order came from Deputy Director himself."

Damn it, those spooks were playing games again. Can't even stop with their power plays even when the country is at risk! "Tell me about the order, " Casey demanded.

"What's there to say? Mr. Tang said the Deputy Director contacted him and insisted that Agent Shaw be given full access to the base to ensure the success of the operation. There isn't much more I can tell you. You'd have to ask Mr. Tang yourself."

Casey's response died on his lips when the front door behind him whipped open. Wheeling around, Casey looked at the next potential target when pain shot through his chest. His grip on his gun had gone slack and his legs had gone wobbly like jelly as he slide to the ground. Damn it, they got him with an air taser! As hard as he tried to will himself up the voltage had caused his body to seize up. In his descent the afro wig had slipped and Casey's vision had become obscured by a field of unnaturally orange curls. He wondered for a moment if this was his time, that somebody had finally outmaneuvered him and he waited for his foe to come in for the kill.

Instead he felt hard cold steel snap on his wrists and legs as several strong hands hauled him up. Starring him in the face was the SWAT team that helped him clear the Intersect facility and a very pissed off Chief Peyton.

"Colonel John Casey, I'm placing you under arrest for the murder of Dominic Montebloom and for attempted assault. Attempt to resist and my men will not hesitate to fire."

0-0

Sarah awoke in a daze, unaware of where she was. Her head was throbbing and she had the metallic taste of blood on her tongue. The last thing she remembered was driving with Chuck to the location Shaw specified and then... "Damn it!" she cursed to herself.

After all of her attempts at counter-surveillance they were still ambushed not far from the meeting site. Their assailants were clever and started their assault off with flashbang grenades to disorient the both of them . Not even the most seasoned operative can properly launch a counterattack when a flashbang goes off in their face, and soon afterwards they were both taken. But where had they been taken? The room she found herself in was windowless and aside from the glow of the monitor in front of her and the blinking of a webcam on top she was covered in darkness.

Sarah attempted to stand up but finally noticed something her previously addled mind hadn't absorbed before: she was chained to the chair she found herself in. Not tied up like your stereotypical damsel in distress but lashed with heavy chains. Looking down she took note of two things: One, she was in a chair bolted to the ground and Two, the chains were secured with a heavy padlock. It was a brand she knew she could lock pick, but unfortunately her captors had been thorough in their search of her person, leaving her without her sidearm, throwing knives and all three of her standard emergency lockpicks. Even the hairpins she had kept her hair up with before were gone and the long mane that had enchanted many a man hung loosely along her shoulders. Whoever she was dealing with definitely wasn't treating her with kid gloves.

In the blink of an eye the image on the screen changed from the generic dark blue to an image she never would have imagined in all of her years: it was Agent Daniel Shaw, and the usually severe agent was smiling. A genuine smile, one that as Chuck would put it, "reached his eyes". The man must have never smiled in many years since it looked unnatural. Almost manic. And when he spoke it had an eagerness that set her on edge.

"Good morning Agent Walker, did you have a nice rest?" Shaw asked in an uncharacteristically kind manner. "We both had a long day and I want you at your best for what's in store."

Sarah shook her head. Something was definitely off. "What's going on Agent Shaw?" she asked him, trying and failing to keep the grogginess out of her voice. "Why am I strapped to this chair? And where's Chuck?"

Much to her dismay Shaw's smile widened. "The answer to both questions are intertwined so do forgive me if I do not get to your second question right away. You were captured and restrained accordingly because you possess information that certain parties are interested in and I do not wish you to free yourself before said information is extracted from you. Rope can be cut or gnawed through if one is diligent enough. Lord knows I am well acquainted with the taste of nylon by now. "

"So what is it that you want from me exactly? I know you didn't go through all this trouble just to tell me about your weird eating habits," Sarah replied.

"Simple Agent Walker. I simply require the identity of Intersect Host 616. Give me that and I promise a quick death."

Sarah furrowed her brow. "I think you need to work on your persuasion skills Shaw. Starting with the death threats only causes the mark to clam up after all, and it's even less efficient when you're not even in the same room with the suspect."

"Oh I did not say your death would be quick," he said. The monitor went into split screen mode and a familiar face appeared beside Shaw's. Sarah's blood ran cold when the familiar visage of her father appeared. He looked more haggard than when she had last seen him in Burbank, and the newly acquired black eye didn't help matters.

"Well aren't you a sight for sore eyes. How've you been darlin'?" he said nonchalantly as possible while being held at gunpoint. She couldn't see the gun but Sarah knew it was there. The man that once called himself Jack Burton gave her that same smile that usually came with bad news. Her father thought his poker face was immaculate but Sarah had caught on after the fourth time his horse turned out to be a loser at the track.

"Dad, how badly did they hurt you? Are you able to wiggle your fingers and toes?" Sarah asked. She was fighting to keep calm but her worst fears came bubbling to the surface. This time there was no Graham to keep him safe.

"My hosts have been a mite overzealous but I'm no worse for the wear," Jack said in an attempt to put her concerns to rest. If it was anyone else but her listening they might have believed him "I don't know what troubles you've stirred up but I just want to say that I'm not angry with you. Just tell these nice men whatever they want to hear and we can put this little misunderstanding behind us."

"I... I'm sorry daddy," Sarah said as her gaze turned down. "It's not that simple. I talk and an untold amount of innocents would pay the price. Even if that wasn't the case, I won't be able to escape the fallout if I talked. The people I work for will hunt me down if they caught wind that I've been telling tales and they have the resources to do so anywhere in the world."

"Darlin', what kind of people you been working for anyways? I thought you were a cop of some sort."

"The kind that are not capable of forgiveness ," Shaw answered before Jack's image disappeared from the screen. "Now that I have proven the seriousness of this situation Agent Walker, are you still willing to withhold IH616's identity?"

_I'm sorry daddy_, Sarah thought to herself. Turning her face to the monitor, she answered, "Yes."

"I thought so. There is a bond there but it is not strong enough to make you reconsider. No, I think it is time to up the ante so to speak," Shaw said to the camera before turning it around and putting it somewhere. The way the picture bobbed suggested that it was now mounted on his head. "Now I must inflict the same pain you have inflicted upon me all those years ago."

"Shaw, you're not making any sense. Until Monte Carlo I never met you before."

"Does the codename Black Briar sound familiar to you Agent Walker? " Shaw asked her politely but even so just the name put Sarah on edge and her poker face came out in full force. She'd done her best to forget what happened to that agent but instead her attempts just cemented it in her memory.

"Yes... I believe it was brought up during Chuck's Flash demonstration, " she answered calmly. "But it doesn't explain why you're doing any of this."

"Does it now, Agent Dartmouth? That was the name they gave you for that task, was it not? Well than allow me to explain it to you in very simple terms. You took the person I loved most in the world away from me and now I will return the favor," Shaw bluntly told her. Even before he uttered the last syllable Sarah could feel her hackles rising.

Shaw continued, "But this time there will two differences. For one, I will give him a head start to escape. At least this way Charles will have more of a chance to defend himself than you allowed my Evie. But if he fails, and we both know he will fail, I will make you watch every single moment. I must apologize if things get messy for I am working under a strict deadline. I had originally planned on having my men torture your father but happenstance lead Charles into my vendetta and I could not let the opportunity pass. But don't you worry, that old swindler will meet his demise after Charles gasped his last breath."

Sarah snarled at the screen. "If you so much as disturb one curl on his head you rat bastard, I will rip..." she began before a loud buzzer cut her off.

"I am afraid that something has come up so I must begin sooner than I hoped. Oh who am I kidding, you never were much of a conversationalist and I am happy for the interruption. Enjoy the show," Shaw said to her joyfully.

"Shaw, I'm not done with you!" Sarah shouted at the screen but to no avail. Either the agent had cut off her mic or simply ignored her, for her outburst went unanswered. Pushing her anger down, she tested her restraints again. She felt a bit of give with her left arm but not enough to free it. As she leaned forwards to inspect the chair Sarah heard it groan. Looking down further she caught a glimpse of the wood flooring, old and starting to rot. A glimmer of hope came to her. The flooring the chair was bolted to could be broken! With the faintest of ideas in mind, Sarah started to rock herself back and forwards trying to worry away at the floor.

Just as she was about to give up, a snap was heard and she felt herself hurdling towards the monitor. Her head made contact with the screen and a big crack now obscured the picture. Blood came pouring out of her head and Sarah figured that her head wound from a couple of days ago had gotten reopened. Despite the pain there was one silver lining that she'd noticed. The blood was traveling down her left arm and making it wet with its moisture; more slippery too.

"Of course!" Sarah thought to herself. She waited for her arm to get slick enough and then pulled on her restraints with all of her might. And like that, her left arm came free! With her now liberated hand, she pulled at her shirt's neck to get to her sports bra. Like most male agents, Shaw never thought to inspect his captive's bra and thus missed the lockpick she'd sewn into the material. Ripping at the loose seems, Sarah withdrew the pick and started on the lock with an intensity that would have made her Break and Enter instructor proud. Sarah Walker would not rest until her beloved nerd was safe and sound again.

A/N: Hope I didn't disgust anyone with the blood. I just wanted to show off our favorite lady agent's resolve and her dedication to one nerd from Burbank.


	23. Chapter 23

A/N: Thanks to everyone still reading this. I admit that I'm probably the slowest writer on this site (especially compared to literary heavyweights Frea O'Scanlin) so I appreciate everyone that's stuck with this little tale that seemed to have ballooned over time.

Thanks goes to **garnetflint **for acting as beta on this chapter.

**Chapter 23**

"Ugh!", was all Chuck could muster as he swam back into consciousness. His head felt as if somebody had filled it up with quarters and kicked it down the stairs. And a nasty aftertaste swirled around in his mouth; He couldn't place what it was, but the closest thing he could compare it to was the moldy piece of bread one of his frat brothers had dared him to lick. Unwilling to get to his feet yet, Chuck tried to roll to the side, but as he did something firm dug into his cheek. Something with sharp edges. Rolling back onto his back, Chuck grabbed the object and held it to the dim lightbulb that was the lone source of light in the room. It was a walkie talkie. _"Why am I using a walkie talkie as a teddy bear?"_ Chuck wondered. _"And why am I napping in some strange room?"_

As the pain subsided, Chuck did his best to recall what happened to him. He was with Sarah on the way to meet Shaw near an abandoned factory when... there was a bang followed by a flash of light and then... pain. Somebody must have attacked them on route and taken them someplace. Chuck wasn't sure who had taken them if he had to be honest. The bad guys usually tied you up and kept you in a nice empty area. Chuck was in what appeared to be a storage closet. The various empty cardboard boxes that lined the shelves gave it away. But why didn't they search the room before tossing Chuck in there? If they went through the trouble of ambushing him and Sarah they'd have been more careful than to overlook a walkie, right?

Just then the thought entered his mind. Sarah! She wasn't there with him. She... oh he hoped she was alright. "Maybe I can call for help on this," Chuck said out loud to himself. His brain had been rattled so that should give him some leeway for acting a bit nuts.

Turning on the walkie talkie, Chuck fiddled with the volume until the static was no longer an assault on his senses. "Hello, can anyone hear me?" he spoke into it. Best give it a moment in case someone had caught that message, he thought to himself.

A moment later, a burst of static came through the walkie's speakers followed by a slightly garbled voice. "Mr. Bartowski, can you hear me?" it asked, and from the formal tones Chuck deduced who it belonged to.

The words came tumbling out of Chuck's mouth, unable or unwilling to reign them in. "Daniel, is that you? Listen, I need to tell you something. Sarah and I got attacked on our way to hooking up with you and now I'm stuck in some old industrial looking area. I don't know where Sarah is right now, I was knocked out for a bit, but I have a bad feeling they aren't going to be nice to her. Please, get help before they do something to her."

The walkie was silent for a full solid minute before Chuck spoke into it again. "Daniel, are you still there?" he asked almost in a panic. "Please oh please still be there."

"Oh I am very much still present Mr. Bartowski. I simply chose not to answer. For my machinations it was better to let the anxiety build in you. We have an audience and I want them to appreciate how just how dire your situation is , " Shaw answered matter of fact.

"An audience? Daniel what..." Chuck began before things started to add up. "Daniel, what have you done?!"

A chuckle was heard over the walkie and the almost mechanical sound of it made Chuck's skin crawl. "Oh, I have set up a little game that the two of us will be playing. You are familiar with the computer game Pac-man, correct? The premise is similar. The yellow puck attempts to escape the maze before the ghost finds and kills him. If it, in this case you, escape then no harm comes to it. On the other hand, if the ghost catches its prey then, what was the term again? Ah yes: Game Over."

Oh poop. His life had just become an episode of the Twilight Zone. "That's not 100% accurate you know. There's no power pellets in your version," Chuck spoke up. "Tell me Daniel, why are you doing this? I've always been nice to you, well there was the party but I wasn't trying to be mean. It's just that you've always come off as uber-serious all of the time."

"Revenge," Shaw answered flippantly. "My newest employer gave me cart blanche to finding the identity of Internet Host 616 and I chose the most elaborate way to psychologically torture Agent Walker into giving up that information. As you are already aware, physical torture is unreliable especially when the target is trained to resist. Instead I chose to threaten to take away one of the few people she could honestly love and in my own way repay the Agency by inflicting the same cruelty dealt to me."

Chuck clutched the walkie so tightly that he was worried that it might break. Daniel Shaw had hidden his pain all those years and now it had manifested itself as a desire to hurt Sarah, to hurt him. Chuck could almost sympathize with the half-crazed man, having lost a mother if not to death then to her own selfish desires. What could he say that could help bridge that gap? Was such a thing possible?

"Daniel, I know what you're going through. I've lost family over the years and one of my closest friends lost his father in a car accident when he was 3. I don't know what they told you at the Farm or wherever but what you're going through is natural. You lost someone very special to you and it's alright to feel angry at everyone, but inflicting that hurt onto someone else isn't the answer. "

"It isn't the answer!" Shaw bellowed through the walkie. In the handful of days he'd known the man not once had he raised his voice and the effect was like a sucker punch to the kidneys. "She shot Evie in the back and left her to die! She was marked to die, without a trial, and abandoned like trash at the side of the road! Did your reports tell you that she took hours before she bled out? That she was discovered by a bum looking to steal her coat and died on the way to the hospital? No, because Langston Graham wanted her death to be slow and agonizing, and it wouldn't do for a rising star like him to be caught ordering unsanctioned hits. And then the maggot had the nerve to look me right in the eye a few days later and tell me how sorry he was for my loss!" he bellowed before the line went silent.

Chuck was about put the walkie down when Shaw spoke again. His voice had regained some of its composure but the rage still lurked not far from the surface. "I would wish you luck Charles Bartowski but we both know that would be a lie. Instead I will say Make Your Peace," he said before the walkie went silent once again.

0-0

Chuck scrambled through the half dark hallways, half worried that he'd trip and break something. None of the light switches he'd tried seemed to work and only the glow of the emergency lights offered any illumination. Without any windows and with both phone and watch missing it was impossible to tell how long he'd been unconscious. Thankfully the place wasn't one of those abandoned warehouses that L.A.'s seedier residents seemed to favor otherwise worries of tetanus would have been heaped onto the ever growing pile of anxieties brewing in his stomach.

Still, the threat of the newly homicidal Shaw loomed tall over him and Chuck found himself humming the theme to the Legend of Zelda to calm his nerves. It drove Ellie mad when they were younger but the familiar tune he found so beautiful never failed to drain the fear.

"Haven't done this in ages," Chuck thought to himself. "Not since Dad disappeared." Not even during the early days of Project Bartowski had the fear taken such a hold on him.

Eventually, he came across a door open a crack. Sensing a hiding place, Chuck ducked in without a second thought and shut the door behind him. It was only when the door clicked that he realized that he stuck in the dark again. Fumbling in the dark, Chuck's hands found a table nearby and on top of it was what felt to be a flashlight. Seizing his prize, Chuck clicked it on and was rewarded with a strong beam of light. Whoever it belonged to at least was diligent in replacing the batteries and Chuck offered a silent prayer to whatever deity upheld such thoughtfulness.

With flashlight in hand, Chuck scanned the room he was in. It was a janitor's closet filled with the prerequisite cleaning materials as well as tools and other repair stuff. No window to escape out of but at least it was remote and there were no nooks or crannies big enough to hide a mad spy. Since he was sure Shaw was nowhere to be found, Chuck tried the walkie talkie to contact the outside world but aside from the frequency Shaw called him from there was no response. Chuck hated to admit it, but for once he was completely on his own. A part of him wanted nothing more than to curl up into a ball and wait for rescue, and yet another chastised himself for thinking that way. Sarah was counting on him and there was no way he'd let Shaw hurt her no matter what he said she may or may not have done.

So that left only one option. "I'm going to have to deal with him myself," Chuck muttered to himself. This was going into alien territory. Chuck was never one to instigate fights and didn't even have one iota of the special agent's experience in the rough stuff. "Maybe the Intersect has something handy up its sleeve, or pointer address or whatever." As he had done with base's map, Chuck tried to Flash on something he could use for combat. He tried picturing every martial art sounding name in his mind, from Muay Thai to the infamous Crane Kick, but nothing appeared.

He was about to give up when he spied the handyman's secret weapon sitting there so innocently on the shelf and finally a Flash started up. Something wondrous had appeared in his mind's eye. Yes, the sight of duct tape had caused the Intersect to retrieve _The Mynock's Guide to Improvised Weaponry. _This baby was once a notorious document that floated around the internet during the 90's that taught its reader how to turn any household item into something less innocent. And as Chuck skimmed its contents he discovered that the CIA had added its own assortment of nasty surprises to it. And the best part was the fact that the recipes could be assembled by someone with some competency in handiwork such as an amateur electrician... or a former Nerd Herder like himself.

With a renewed sense of confidence, Chuck placed the roll of duct tape on the table before he started to scan the shelves for materials. Here was a project he could work with and with it came a deadline more dire than any he'd encountered before.

0-0

Casey sat in the bland room seething under the unblinking light. It had been over an hour since the two uniforms had shoved him into the interrogation room and nobody had checked up on him since. Casey wasn't surprised. The cops couldn't do what was necessary to gather intel from their captives so they had to resort to petty mind games. However, instead of creating unease in his situation, feelings of humiliation had brewed inside of the operative. He had always prided himself on being able to move undetected through enemy territory and yet, not only did cops get the drop on him but they even took him alive. It was an insult to his training that the takedown had gone so smoothly. Practically one step away from being laid out with a frying pan by a panicking civie as far as he was concerned.

The question that kept coming to mind was how the police even knew where to find him to begin with. Mentally he ran through the list of potential leaks. Black was genuinely caught unaware when he showed up, Walker and Bartowski wouldn't even dream of picking up the phone, and Shaw wasn't privy to their plans. Even if he tried to bug Walker her burner had gotten trashed and Wu had gotten paranoid ever since the slaver escaped from jail. For a moment he considered Wu and Grimes but it didn't fit. Either of them could have called the police during the meeting with the heads but no uniforms showed up at their apartment. Besides, Grimes's loyalty to the nerd would have discouraged him from ratting them out.

That only left Tang. That rat. His vindictive personality would have put things like operational security and self-preservation at low priority once he felt he was slighted. He had probably called at one of the payphones that still littered the island like forgotten crumbs before hitting the base, once the fear had subsided. "_That's why you never rush a job_," he mentally chastised himself.

The door opened with a shrill sound as the hinges screeched in protest, instantly drawing Casey's attention. He was expecting one of those sunburned bums that claimed to be detectives but instead was greeted by the sight of Police Chief Peyton. Unusual to say the least. Those in charge usually let the underlings handle these matters unless pride was at stake but somehow Casey didn't think that was the case here.

In a deliberate manner Peyton placed a folder, a bottle of water and a recorder on the table before sitting across from Casey. Peyton took a quick drink from the bottle before turning the recorder on. "This is Michael Peyton interviewing Colonel John Casey. Time is currently 10:45," he spoke into it before sitting back. Peyton deliberately put himself out of Casey's reach in case he tried to attack him, not that Casey would have had any luck to begin with. Even if he had a brief lapse in common sense the boys in blue had him in leg cuffs so his range was quiet limited.

Peyton cleared his throat. "Okay Colonel, I know you're not a man for small talk so let's just jump into it. I need your help clarifying what happened with Mr. Montebloom," he said as he opened up the folder. Pictures of the crime scene were visible and Casey knew it was an attempt to get a response.

He continued. "I'm under the assumption that one of your compatriots shot him out of self defense after you attempted to kidnap him but the D.A. believes that all three of your party had originally come to the manor with the intent of ending his life. If you help us fill in the gaps there's a good chance that we can pled it down to attempted kidnapping and breaking and entering. Refuse and the state will charge you with first degree. Normally you'd be tried by the Hawaiian courts but due to the clandestine activities you've allegedly been involved with there's talk that you'd be tried in Washington."

_Where there's still the death penalty_, Casey noted to himself. It was politely phrased but it was as good as a death threat as far as he was concerned.

"What makes you believe that I've been involved in anything pertaining to Mr. Monte Carlo?" Casey asked honestly. It was Farm training all over again. When in doubt, try getting the other guy to talk. Not only does it give you the chance to learn valuable intel but it also distracts from the fact that you're not offering anything. Plus incorrectly repeating a person's name was an easy way to suggest to the interrogator that you had no familiarity with the person in question.

"Well Colonel Casey, there are several factors that makes you seem suspicious as hell. First of all, there's the fact that you were found in possession of a stolen pistol that ballistics believes was used in a double homicide in New Orleans, " Peyton informed him.

"_Shit, Black wasn't kidding about the suits cutting corners on the gear_," Casey gloomily thought to himself.

Peyton continued. "And there's also the 2 different eye witnesses claiming that a man matching your description had broken into the mansion and shepherded them into a bedroom the night Mr. Montebloom was murdered. This was minutes before shouting began and gunshots were heard soon after, so we can be certain that your presence there was connected to his death. "

Peyton paused to take a sip from his water bottle. Another cop tactic to put pressure on him. Leave him under hot lights for a while and tempt him with cool refreshment if he'd just co-operate. At least Peyton had the decency not to tote out the whole tired "You're looking thirsty there perp" shtick.

"On top of that nobody can vouch for your whereabouts at the time. I've had my men follow up on the contact information at DARPA and nobody there will cop to even hearing your name before, " Peyton added. Now that was news to Casey. General Beckman was usually impeccable with setting up covers even at short notice. What had happened to the man that was supposed to verify Casey's story.

"I've even asked the folks over at Hickam Air Force Base since you've claimed that you were air force. They said that you supposed to be there for a refresher and you've failed to return from leave days ago. No mentions about you being involved in any criminal investigations came up. So the question is why are you even here Colonel Casey? Is this a case of cloak and dagger gone awry?" Peyton asked.

Casey remained deadly quiet the whole time, not even offering up one of his many variations of his grunts.

"I must remind you Colonel that launching a covert operation on U.S. soil is a criminal act and that if you have any information pertaining to the existence of one being run it is your duty to report it."

The idea that this tin star wearing weasel would lecture him about duty was too much for Casey. "And what gives a suit wearing parasite like you the right to talk about duty?! You're so far removed from the action sitting at your cozy desk that you couldn't even fathom what's necessary to protect this country!"

"And how does shooting a defenceless man help anyone?!" Peyton snapped back at him. "I've seen the crime scene photos. Mr. Montebloom was shot at close range, almost execution style. Whatever you wanted from him is most certainly lost now, so I can't help wondering if playing your dirty little power games worth it?"

"Power games?!" Casey snarled.

"That's right. You and your agency of assholes think that cracking this case all on your own somehow earns you brownie points in Washington but all you've done is sabotage this investigation. My men could have easy brought Mr. Montebloom alive and well to the station, without hassle, for questioning. But you've withheld information that links him to the nuclear material smuggled onto the country. And now with you wanted for murder you've cast a shadow over every piece of intelligence you've given us . If it wasn't for the traces of radiation found in that container we'd have called the search for the smugglers by now. "

"You better not, " Casey insisted. "There's a something at play here and it's not just going to go away. Think about it moron! You're in the peak tourist season right now! If someone plans on detonating a dirty bomb the casualty count is going to be in the millions, not even considering what the fallout would do to the surrounding islands. You want that on your head?!"

"Not just my head. The Coast Guard is involved too," Peyton informed him. "Look Colonel, if you honestly want to help this investigation than you need to at least come forward with what you know. What is the connection between Mr. Montebloom and the nuclear materials? Why did you target him to begin with?"

True to his stubborn nature, Casey had fallen silent. To deal with his rising anger he focused on his manacles and played with the chains. Even if he had a point Casey wouldn't ever concede it to Peyton.

"Very well Colonel. I'm putting you back in your cell now, but know this. I'm adding obstruction of justice to the charges and that means the D.A. going to be looking for an excuse to label you a co-conspirator. If he succeeds and the bomb goes off you'll definitely get stuck with treason. You'll become the scapegoat the suits always look for whenever they drop the ball," Peyton told him.

As the door screeched shut behind him, Casey couldn't help but wonder if maybe this time he'd be the one to pay the terrible price for his country. "No good deed ever goes unpunished," Bennett once told him before he went AWOL and Casey wondered if the need for secrecy drilled into him had finally bit him in the ass.

A/N: Keep in mind Season 4 won't happen in my continuity. As far as Chuck is aware his mother simply walked out the door one day and never gave him or his sister a single thought since. Also, one of my cravats to myself is that Chuck will never get a Kung Fu program EVER in my story and besides being able to Macguyver tools together is a better fit for Chuck's personality. Besides it makes me have to get creative and that ain't such a bad thing.


	24. Chapter 24

A/N: Thanks to everyone that reviewed and/or followed this story. You guys deserve the best and I always try to deliver, even if it takes me awhile.

Put your hands together for my beta **garnetflint**. Man's like a machine :-)

**Chapter 24**

Morgan was concerned. Not worried, as he'd told Anna a couple of times already. It was about 11:00 now and still no word from Chuck. Even though his knowledge of spy stuff was spotty at best (even he knew 007's stuff wouldn't fly in the real world) it still made him uneasy that Chuck hadn't called him yet. He'd promised before he left that he'd call or text around 10:30 and still no word from his best bud in the whole wide world. Being 30 minutes late without an explanation was cause for concern in itself. If Chuck had a second middle name it would have been "Punctuality". Sure it didn't fit in well with "Irving" but it highlighted the importance Chuck placed on time. At least until Bryce had pulled him into the spy stuff.

Oh that was a shocker that he was quite certain Casey and Sarah wouldn't want other people to find out about. It was came out while Anna had caught the preppy jerk trying to climb the stage's rigging and had Morgan wrangle him back to the prepping area where they could keep an eye on him. Bryce complained about being hauled back like a child, saying he should be nicer to him since he was Chuck's friend too and Morgan snapped at him that he's been a terrible friend to Chuck. To his surprise Chuck's nemesis had broken down and started bawling like a baby, muttering something about "sending Zork to Chuck was right", the "upload wouldn't affect him" and that "he knew Sarah would have kept him safe from the baddies, honest".

Morgan hated to say it but what he revealed to him had made much more sense than the more upbeat story Sarah gave them last night. Chuck had been off kilter even before the blonde Amazon entered his life, mumbling about official sounding stuff he shouldn't know about and later on disappearing for stretches of time with her that were ridiculous for even the most dedicated of lovers.

No wonder he and Anna thought they were carrying out their own version of Weeds. A lot of what he learned didn't make any sense to him but it did point to something sinister. He didn't doubt Sarah's loyalty to Chuck (helping with Mr. B was well above and beyond duty after all) but that didn't mean that everything was good and gravy.

"All well," he told himself. "If I can't be Chuck's wingman right now I can at least keep an eye out for things here. Can't always play Red 3 to his Red 5."

He was returning with lunch for the three of them when he felt a pair of eyes linger on him. A lifetime of dodging bullies and later work had finely tuned his ability to spot when someone was watching and right now it was going off like mad. Was it something spy stuff related? Sarah claimed that they'd been careful but you can never tell if someone completely out of left field has caught on to you, like when Jeanette caught him hording copies of Halo 2 when it first came out. A lousy temp of all people ratted him out to Tang! Oh, he was getting off topic again. What was he getting worked up about again?

Oh right, someone was watching him.

Morgan put the food down and looked around. Anna was busy setting the pinwheels and Bryce the parasite (man, he wished "Bryce" rhymed better with words so he could give him a better nickname), well he was playing with Anna's old cellphone. Bless her heart she came prepared. Looked like he was playing Snakes, an underappreciated classic if he said so himself. And his watcher... Well the only person that was nearby was the curly haired guy that looked out of place. He looked like he was at a magazine shoot and not a tourist spot with his fancy clothing and his well coiffed hair. Something about him just felt off to Morgan. Oh, and he was coming right towards him too.

The overly groomed man stopped right in front of Morgan and shot him what he supposed was a friendly smile. "Hi there, Pyrotechnics Inspector. I know I'm a bit late but I'm here to give the setup a safety check before the big event tonight."

_"Like heck you are,"_ Morgan thought to himself. Anna went over every single aspect of the setup and not once did a so-called inspector factor into things. The guy was spinning a story, although Morgan didn't know why. What he did now was that he was definitely up to no good if he was so intent on getting close to the fireworks.

Luckily Morgan's well-honed skills in dreaming up excuses to avoid work saved the day. "Sorry man, Anna's busy setting up the thermal detonators and you know how sensitive those are. I'll let her know you came by."

"I didn't realize it was at that stage already," the curly haired man told him. "Tell you what, when she's done have her call my office and they'll contact me when it's more appropriate," he said as he handed a card to Morgan. "I'd give you my cell phone number but I got to stick to policy."

"Yeah, I know all too well the need to pucker up for the higher ups," Morgan agreed. A quick glance at the card showed that this man's name wasn't on it. Weird. "So who should I tell Anna I spoke to?"

"Carmichael, Charles Carmichael."

0-0

Chuck slowly crawled through the old decrepit air ducts of the building marveling how much smaller they were than in real life. After putting together his arsenal Chuck decided to stick to them to avoid running into Shaw. He'd like to get a feel for the area before he confronted the deranged agent so hopefully a plan could be devised. Since the ducts were tiny Chuck's progress was slow but at least panic didn't set in. Thankfully claustrophobia wasn't one of his character flaws.

"Now I know how a TV dinner feels like," he joked to himself as he swatted a cobweb out of his way. He could spot a light up ahead and he headed towards it with a mix of anticipation and fear. Saying thanks to his brother-in-law, the avatar of all things awesome, Chuck pulled his Swiss Army knife out and pried the grate off. The murmur of nearby machinery muffled the sounds of his work much to Chuck's relief. Unless Shaw had super-hearing there was no way he'd notice Chuck was here.

After exiting the ducts Chuck took the opportunity to take in his surroundings while he dusted himself off. The machines around him indicated that this was a boiler room of sorts, and that meant that a fuse box would be nearby. A map of the facility was stuck to a nearby corkboard caught his eye and Chuck memorized it to the best of his ability before moving to the fuse box. As he had guessed, Shaw had switched most of the fuses off save for storage area 2, the security room and garage 3. Chuck mentally filled this away before switching everything on. The hiding in the dark wouldn't be much help to Chuck if Shaw came prepared with night vision goggles and he'd rather not be stumbling into things if he could help it.

Chuck opted for using the ducts again in case Shaw came back to investigate, and decided to explore storage area 2. He had to be holding Sarah somewhere, probably where there was still power. Shaw insinuated he would make Sarah watch whatever dastardly deeds he had in mind so it would make sense he'd broadcast it over a feed and not right in front of her where she'd be able to do something. Chuck was betting that Shaw would assume he'd try to run for help and thus be watching the exits instead of Sarah for this rescue to work.

Using the mapping feature in the new Interest Chuck was able to make his way to the storage area without fuss. He peered through the grating but wasn't able to make out anything but a table from his position. A light was shining over it so there must be something Shaw was keeping there, or someone. Chuck made his way over to the table but was shocked to discover what was laid out. There was no Sarah here but instead there were an assortment of tools and implements on display. Most of them he'd never seen before in his entire life, and hopefully would never again. The meticulous way each scary item was placed and organized reminded Chuck of a dentist and he couldn't help but shudder at the thought.

Among the few items he recognized were fishing wire, a pair of alligator grips and an IPod. Chuck grabbed the first two items and tossed them into the duffle bag he borrowed from the janitor's closet before taking a closer look at the IPod. "Maybe there was something on it I can use, like some baddie giving Shaw orders," Chuck thought to himself as he slipped the accompanying headphones on. What he got instead was jarring to say the least.

"Thank you for coming home," crooned a familiar voice. "I'm sorry that the chairs are all worn." _Was that "Gold"? The heck?!_

Chuck instantly mashed pause and looked down at the screen. It was a Jeffster cover, Lester's vocals were unmistakeable to the former Nerd Herder. Chuck shook his head. First he and his girlfriend get kidnapped, then he finds out a super duper CIA spy wants him dead and to put the cherry on top he learns Jeffster released an album. An album that at least one human being has bought with real money. "Today's just turning out spectacularly," he muttered to himself while removing the headphones. For a moment he considered putting the IPod back but suddenly he had the inklings of a plan. "This little number might come in handy," he thought to himself and pocketed the player.

Minutes later Chuck exited the vents into the security room and was relieved that his paranoia had paid off. A quick inspection of the door revealed that Shaw had booby trapped it with enough explosives to make Casey salivate. Apparently he didn't have time for something elaborate as the trap relied on a hand grenade with string attached to its pin and the door handle to act as a detonator. Somebody coming through the front door would unwittingly pull the pin out as they pulled open the door and the grenade would explode seconds later. Chuck carefully took the string off the door handle but decided to leave it on the pin. Chuck didn't want to risk blowing himself up if he didn't have to (and especially if there wasn't anyone to impress).

A quick scan of the monitors showed that the security cameras were still up and running. Shaw, in his infinite hubris, had opted not to even attempt a shutdown of them, either assuming Chuck would have blown himself up or that he'd find the nerd on his own. Chuck decided not to look a gift horse in the mouth and flipped through the cameras to see if he could locate Shaw or Sarah. Half of the cameras showed nothing but darkness while others where clear as day. There was no sign of Sarah anywhere but Shaw thankfully was in Storage Area 4, which was far away from the security room. Perfect for setting up a trap.

Chuck plopped the bag on the nearby table and unzipped it. It was time to get to work.

0-0

Daniel Shaw was meticulously clearing the rooms one by one. In a place like this there were a million and one places to hide, but that was one of the reasons the old warehouse was chosen for this excursion. The idea of making Charles Bartowski's death something that required effort appealed to him. It was like being a hunter in the wilds stalking a skittish rabbit he supposed. The skill required of him plus the anticipation of the takedown made this whole exercise just that much more enjoyable. Here they would be on more even footing, although he admitted to himself the years of training trumped whatever they'd put in Bartowski's head.

His handler would be disappointed to learn that a live Intersect host had been terminated, but at least he could disprove the misinformation surrounding the program for good. His elimination of the host would signify the imprinting of skills was no more than a fable the Agency had dreamed up. A plus for certain. Wouldn't you get angry if someone told you that somebody could instantly gain the skills you spent a lifetime gaining? For Shaw the elimination of the dream of factory assembled agents was like a breath of fresh air.

Strange though, for someone without training, Bartowski was doing a good job keeping hidden. It must have been luck though, for even luck graced the initiated and the neophyte equally. Sadly for Sarah Walker's latest paramour his luck would soon run out.

As he rounded a corner he heard something he didn't anticipate. From the speakers came, "I left them here I could have sworn."

That was Lester Patel's vocals! But who... "Bartowski," he muttered to himself. It had to be the nerd. He must have found his IPod and had gotten a preview of what was to come. The music was coming over the PA system so that meant he must be in the security room. The music must be to cover the sound of his tracks while he attempted an escape. Well, Shaw wasn't going to fall for it. He had the exits in that area sealed so if he wanted to get there Bartowski would have to come through him first.

A pity for him that Shaw wasn't feeling patient right now.

The agent rounded the corner and noticed the security door had been left ajar. Chuck must have used the ducts to get into the room just like he did, and if things were different he'd have been impressed that a civilian had recognized the booby trap and had the forethought to disarm it. As for now, he was just happy that Walker's pet hadn't accidently robbed him of his fun.

Shaw reached for the door but stopped himself. Bartowski could be on the other side waiting to surprise him. Shaw prided himself on being able to read people and revealing nothing, and he could tell that Bartowski was the squeamish sort, not willing to kill. He'd either try to restrain him or knock him down to buy time for him to flee. Shaw on the other hand was armed with the expensive but very effective Twilight Darts and didn't have to worry about restraint. Shaw nudged the door open a bit wider before pulling the pin on a flashbang grenade, counting to three and tossing it in.

Once the grenade had detonated, Shaw kicked the door open hoping to catch Bartowski unaware. Much to his surprise a paint can was launched at him covering him head to toe in bright yellow paint. Childish pranks! Did he think that would save him now? Over the music he heard a laugh coming from the other side of the corridor. Hubris had gotten hold of the nerd and he had stuck around to watch. "His funeral," Shaw snarled and towards where he'd last heard his quarry.

Chuck ducked into the warehouse, careful not to step on one of his projects. The dark blue shirt he wore coupled with the dark cargo shorts helped him blend into the low light of the warehouse. He'd set it so that the only lighting was the emergency lights so that Shaw wouldn't be able to see too well. Chuck waited by the stairs leading up to the catwalk until he heard the telltale sound of frustration. Like he'd predicted, Shaw did indeed have night vision goggles and the paint had done double duty ruining them while simultaneously making him stand out in the dark.

Shaw discarded the goggles and continued onwards. Anger had clouded his thoughts blocking out caution. Before giving himself time to acclimatize to the dark he pushed onwards only to step on something gooey. Whatever it was didn't hold his shoes in place but instead made various bits of debris stick to the soles of his shoes. The sound of a box crashing to the ground drew his attention the direction of the stairs followed by the soft sounds of sneakers clanging off the steps. Shaw chuckled to himself. If his target was trying to escape from there he was out of luck. The building was old, possibly built right before World War 2, which meant it wasn't built to current code and thus no exit existed up there. Bartowski had cornered himself.

Shaw mounted the steps slowly this time, taking them one at a time as the metal bits on his shoes resounded off each step. "One, two, three," he mentally tallied to himself in an effort to steady his nerves. Finally Walker will suffer and boy would her agony be sweet. "Seventeen, eighteen, nineteen, twenty!" he'd reached the top. Now to find...

"Gold!" Patel crooned just as an explosion went off in Shaw's face. Although small, the sudden brightness in the dark caused him to recoil out of instinct. He grabbed the railing to stop himself from falling down the stairs but his pistol had tumbled from his grasp to the floor below.

Shaw loved to know all of the variables before a mission to ensure success. He'd put his little game together in record time but he was sure that all of the angles were considered. But this... an untrained civilian putting up so much resistance was something that he never considered and this was intolerable!

Once his equilibrium returned, Shaw squinted in the dark for his prey. His eyes were still blurry but he could spot a human shaped figure ahead of him. He drew a knife from his belt and lunged towards the shape, forgoing theatrics for efficiency. The lighting was not ideal but Walker would definitely be able to hear his screams over the camera's feed. Years of experience and training guided his hand as the blade sunk into his target. The knife dug in, encountering much more resistance than what a person should offer. Shaw grabbed the body to drive the knife further in, only to realize it wasn't Bartowski after all. A decoy!

Shaw spun to his left to find his intended victim and was rewarded with a glimpse of movement. He was close, much closer than an experienced agent should allow a hostile. In his hands was a cone-shaped item with a cylinder coming out the back. Before he could reach him, Bartowski unleashed his weapon. A loud honk, like one you'd hear from an air horn hit Shaw at almost point blank range and he almost dropped to his knees. His ears now rang and his center of balance was off. It reminded Shaw of the time in Paris when a former Mossad agent hit him with a flashbang grenade. The loud sound played havoc with his inner ear and just like now, made keeping his equilibrium difficult.

Shaw lashed out at Chuck wildly. Each swing he was sure that his blade would find purchase yet only caught air. In his current condition his co-ordination was shot and normally he would withdraw until he could recover. Pride however overrode his instincts. He was supposed to be the best blasted agent the Agency ever had and he wouldn't be outdone by some former retail jockey!

After the fourth swing, Chuck pulled out a weapon of his own before striking Shaw in the arm. Pain shot through the agent's arm and he felt it go numb for a moment as the knife fell to the ground. "A taser?! Where the devil are you getting these tools?!" Shaw barked at him. "I've searched this entire place from top to bottom! How are you doing all this?!"

"It's simple, " Chuck replied. "I've learned to see the potential in things, even the simplest, and that nothing is worthless. Well that, and I never leave home without my weapon of choice," he added as he tapped his head. In response Shaw bellowed with an intensity that would surprise every single operative he'd ever encountered and tackled Chuck off the catwalk. The two fell on top of a crate that was stacked atop a shaky pillar made up of similar boxes. The sudden addition of 300+ pounds the two humans added was too much and gravity sent the mess tumbling down.

Chuck was the first to get to his feet, having landed on top of the agent and having him take the brunt of gravity's wrath. Chuck waited a moment for the agent to stir but when he didn't he went to retrieve the pistol Shaw dropped. He turned on the flashlight clipped to his shirt and examined the gun. It looked familiar and it wasn't until he ejected the clip did he realize why. It was one of the special airguns that shot Twilight Darts! Chuck made his way back to Shaw and shot him once in the leg ("safety first," he muttered to himself) before checking his pulse. It was erratic but strong, and for that Chuck let out a relieved sigh.

After duct taping his hands and feet together, Chuck went through Shaw's pockets and did his best to pat the agent down like he seen Casey and Sarah do in the past. He came up with a stiletto (the stabby kind, not the ones Sarah wore), a crappy flip phone, a few grenades and a slip of paper, all of which went in the bag. Chuck was looking at the busted camera Shaw wore when gunshots rang out. "Ah frak, he brought help," Chuck muttered to himself before flattening himself against the wall. He click off the flashlight and slowly made his way to the source of the disturbance with the pistol at the ready. He held it with both hands just like how Casey handled his sidearm except he had a death grip on his.

Just like that a figure burst through the doors and was silhouetted by the light. Chuck's mind registered that several men clad in bullet proof vests laid strung out across the room but what he focused on was the woman in front of him. In this light her loosen hair shined like a halo, which contrasted heavily with her sullied clothes and the bloody bandage wrapped around her head. Maybe because it was Sarah but to Chuck a lovelier vision could not be imagined. In one swift move Chuck pocketed the pistol and wrapped his arms around the warrior woman.

Sarah was good at adapting to situations, a trait that served her well in her field, and she was able to switch from "smash everyone and thing in sight" mode to "kiss the hell out of Chuck" mode effortlessly. Anger and stress melted away as she inventoried the inside of Chuck's mouth with her tongue, being replaced by relief and joy. Leave it to Chuck to come up with the weirdest, and more efficient, solutions to her maladies.

Once satisfied, Sarah broke the oral embrace and rested her forehead on his. "Hey," she said to him.

"Hey good looking. Rough day at the office?" he joked.

"You have no idea," she replied. She let the silence wash over them for a moment before voice the one question on her mind. "So, where's Shaw?" she asked.

"Oh, I left him duct taped in the corner after putting a Twilight Dart in him," he nonchalantly answered.

"Oh," came her reply. Sarah was dumbfounded to say the least. Shaw was one of the most dangerous operatives the Agency had and Chuck, her kind hearted Chuck that wouldn't even harm a spider, had managed to not only neutralize him but take him alive as well. And here she was just moments ago worrying that these goons at her feet were holding her up from coming to his rescue.

She chuckled to herself and said to him, "You never fail to surprise me Chuck." Taking his hand, she slowly led him through the building. There was much to do, leads she'd uncovered from her assailants to investigate but for now she wanted to just take a moment to luxuriate in Chuck's presence. She could have lost him today and all because of her. After what happened he deserved an explanation for what happened years ago, but not yet. Not yet.

A/N: In case you're wondering, Red 3 is a reference to Star Wars episode 4. Gotta meet my sci-fi quote here. :-) Oh, and the makeshift air horn I admit to cribbing from Dead Rising 2.

Copyright Alert: The song performed by Jeffster, "Gold", was originally by Spandau Ballet and belongs to its current owner (who obviously isn't me).


	25. Chapter 25

A/N: Many thanks to all that read, reviewed and/or followed my story. Thanks goes to **garnetflint** for filling beta reader duties once again.

**Chapter 25**

"Morgan, who am I looking for again?" Anna asked her boyfriend with practiced patience. They were huddled behind one of the remaining crates trying not to look suspicious after Morgan told her about the so-called Pyrotechnics Inspector. Normally she'd chalk his suspicions up to too much bad sci-fi but considering the events of last night she decided to take him seriously. Also, she wanted to avoid looking like a hypocrite for indulging in her own paranoid fantasies about her slaver ex-boyfriend leaving behind spy cams and other unwanted "gifts" while hiding out from the law. She absolutely hated that two-faced shit some girls got away with.

"The guy that looks like he's posing for GQ," Morgan told her. "Right over there by the snow cones." The too well dressed man had his back to them but to Morgan he stood out like a beacon. He was just standing there like he was waiting for someone.

"Hmmm... I admit that he looks too expensive for the occasion but that doesn't exactly put him in my bad books," Anna whispered to him. "He could be one of those richie-riches that overdress for the island. You know how people that don't live near the water underestimate the humidity."

"Yeah but he was claiming to be an inspector and doesn't know anything about pyro!," Morgan whispered back. "He bought my line about you using thermal detonators hook, line and sinker. "

"You do have a point. But do you think it's related to Sarah's stuff? For all we know he's just a crappy thief looking to rip off the festival."

"But he looks so familiar. I don't know why but..." Morgan began before a revelation hit him like the wrath of Thor. "Of course! He's using Chuck's old moniker!" he exclaimed. Anna's brow furrowed in confusion as Morgan continued. "When we were younger we'd come up with stories about what we want to be when we grew up. I was Yor Hammersmith, Zombie Narwhal Hunter, and Chuck wanted to be Charles Carmichael, computer specialist turned rock star, and international man of mystery."

"Oh, I get it now. Did Chuck even play an instrument?" Anna asked him.

"Yeah, the guitar. Was pretty good at it too until Sanford happened," Morgan answered her as he gave a pointed glare to the oblivious Bryce. "After all that stuff, Chuck didn't have the heart for it anymore. I think he used to play for Pig-Swill Jill and he didn't want to be reminded of her. "

"Ugh, now I want to shave her bald and tattoo a wrestler's mask on her head. Too bad she's on the run for cooking meth, eh Morgie?" Anna joked. She was going to say more but the sight of a woman wearing an equally expensive dress moving toward the man caught their eye. The wide brimmed hat she wore covered her head and obscured her face, but sadly did nothing to keep the sun off her. Her dress, a shade of purple, accidently accentuated the sweat stains accumulating on her back and her armpits.

"Definitely not dressed for the weather," Anna murmured to her boyfriend.

The woman spoke to the man Morgan identified as Carmichael and Anna could tell that he definitely wasn't happy to see her. His body tensed up like he was expecting a million ninjas to pop up and he spun around to face the woman. Anna noted two things about the man. Number one, he was trying to act relaxed around her and failing miserably. The hat wearing lady must be his ex or someone he clearly wasn't friendly with anymore. And number two: he looked exactly like the mug shot posted for Mr. Montebloom's killers. She squinted at the man and for a moment he did bear a slight resemblance to Chuck if he had sold out and started acting like a rich jerkface.

Anna ducked back behind the crate pulling Morgan with her. "Holy crap Morgie, he was on TV! I mean he was one of the guys with the picture for the cop call number. "

Morgan smacked his head. "Of course! How could I have forgotten? And here I was thinking he must have been an evil Chuck from alternate reality."

"He kinda does if you squint but without the gross goatee," Anna agreed. "We got to get the cops here and now, otherwise Chuck's going to take the fall for killing Smiley Dom. Morgan, you remember the number for the hotline?"

"Sorry Wild Bunch, I wasn't paying attention to it. I thought it was a ploy by the bad guys to nab Chuck so I tuned it out," Morgan said regretfully. "But I do know Mal's number. I figure I call him and he can bring the boys in blue."

"Good idea baby," Anna said before giving him a peck on the lips. "You ring 'em up and I'll make sure to keep the preppies from leaving."

Morgan frowned at this. "Are you sure that's a good idea? The girl could have a bazooka in her handbag for all we know!"

"But if we don't do something there's a chance they'll get bored and wander off. With this crowd it could take forever to find them again," Anna replied.

"Curses, she's using logic!" Morgan thought to himself.

"Well... you do have a point," Morgan conceded. "Okay, we'll do it your way, but I will say that I 100% support the option to head for the hills if you even have a suspicion that they might want to hurt you. I don't think your dad would want you being roomies with him in the hospital."

"Alright, you win. Can't say living under the same roof as dear old dad again appeals to me right now. But if anyone asks, there were like 10 snipers aiming at me if I backed off. I did not wuss out and run, got it?" Anna asked forcefully. She did have a rep to worry about after all.

"Cross my heart, "Morgan began, " and sealed with a kiss," he finished as he stole a kiss from his girlfriend in the heat of the moment. In the back of his mind his past self gave him the thumbs up for being that smooth.

"Wish me luck you loon," Anna said with a smile as she practically skipped over to their quarry.

Anna made her way over to the two cautiously, using the crowd to get closer without standing out. She grabbed a coke at a nearby vendor (with employee discount thankfully.) and pretended to stare at the Ferris Wheel behind the duo while she sipped her drink. Curly and hat-girl were arguing about something alright, her appearing to be a cold trout while he looking like he was about to blow. The girl was about her age, and bore a slight resemblance to Jen from the party except she had a sharper nose, wore an excess in makeup and felt the need to wear a ton of flashy jewelry. Jen had the sensibility to dress down for the island and a sense of humor that Ms. Trout (as she dubbed the lady) lacked. From her experience, Anna knew to hang back until the two ran out of steam before approaching.

"...why can't you be professional about this?" Anna caught the Ms. Trout hissing to her compatriot. "It's what you're best at after all!"

"What do you think I've been doing this whole time?!" the man snapped back. "Ever since the higher ups transferred you I've been nothing but civil. I've tried everything to make this whole operation go smoothly but you've done nothing but give me grief. Nothing seemed to be enough for you. I miss a step and you're on my case. I finish a job flawlessly and I don't do it fast enough. "

The woman sniffed."All I'm doing is pointing out that you're not up to snuff for the job. You've been outside of your wheelhouse since you got that promotion and it shows. The number of times the others had to cover for you is getting ridiculous! If you had any sense left you'd have quit by now instead of letting your ego get in the way of the team."

Curly chewed on her words for a moment. He looked like he wanted to break something but saw the need to hold back. His face went from angry to thoughtful before transitioning into sadness. "Sam, what are we doing? You and me I mean. How did we get this way?" (_Odd, she didn't look like a Sam_, Anna thought to herself.)

Anna shook her head. These two had history alright, the bad kind. She loathed to get involved in someone else's messy business but she wasn't willing to let these two get away with wasting Smiley Dom. Chuck's freedom was riding on this after all, and Morgan's happiness, Sarah's happiness and hers too. These preppies are going to learn firsthand that things aren't always going to go their way. So she'd wait as long as possible until the conversation started to wind down.

"You decided the job was more important than me. I've burned bridges for you, for us and then you disappeared for months without telling me," the woman, Sam, bitterly replied.

"They didn't give me time to! If I wanted the training I had to go right there and then. You know that there's no second chances in our field," Curly answered defensively. "I thought you'd understand."

"I tried to but considering the fact that the next time I saw you, you had some blonde bimbo wrapped around your arm and you were using an alias was just too much. I'm afraid that my understanding has its limits when my boyfriend is getting cozy with someone else. "

"She was a... client, nothing more. We chatted for a bit, she had too much to drink and I brought her to her room just like I was supposed to. Why would you think that I slept with her unless..." he trailed off.

"Charlie, what are you saying?!" Sammy cried in shock.

"All of those business trips Sam. You'd go on so many, saying that they were so great. Now I wonder why. I remember how distant you were after came back from them and it felt like we were back where we started. Like I was a client," Charlie said frustratedly. "Was I just a client to you the whole time?"

"Jeez, are these guys spies or teenagers?" Anna thought to herself. "Ah screw it, I'm sick of this soap opera crap. Another minute of this and I'll be ready to snort a lit roman candle." She downed the rest of the coke to bolster her spirits and made her way over to the embittered ex-couple. She paused to toss the cup out nearby, buying herself seconds to steel herself to the coming unpleasantness.

"Mr. Carmichael?" Anna asked him politely. Sammy the Red spun around to face her as Carmichael looked up at her. The man was surprised for a moment so she dove right in. "Yeah, you. My assistant told me you were looking for me and he pointed me out to you. Good thing he spotted you since I tried your office but nobody picked up. Guess you should fire your secretary or whoever you got manning the phones."

Sam said nothing but her glare spoke volumes. It spoke of jealousy, suspicion and a touch of hate. Major trouble lay ahead if she tweaked this one's nose.

"Ah yes. You're the one heading up the fireworks display this year, if I remember correctly. I'm Charles Carmichael," he said as he took her hand. Charlie moved in to kiss it but Anna gripped his hand and shook it like a watered down martini.

"Anna Wu, purveyor of all things explodey. This your lady friend?" Anna asked him as she nodded to Sam.

"In a matter of speaking," Carmichael told her reluctantly. "Even if we do seem to butt heads more often these days."

"Guys tend to be buttheads at time so I'm not surprised. Don't you agree Ms...?" Anna joked to the woman as she stuck her hand out.

The redheaded woman starred at it like a rancid pie for an awkward minute before replying, "Claire Fontaine". Sensing that no handshake was forthcoming Anna let her arm drop. Charming to say the least.

"Ah, that makes that two names that red answers to," Anna mentally noted. "How truly troubling. Well, at least I can confirm that Morgan wasn't grasping at straws here."

Carmichael fidgeted with his handkerchief for a moment. He wasn't one that dealt with awkward situations too well it seemed. "So now that the introductions have been made let's get down to business, shall we. Would you mind giving me a tour of the grounds first? I need to take a look around first before I bring in the equipment. "

Now that got Anna's hackles up. Why does the stiffs want to bring outside equipment in for? She dealt with fireworks for Pete's sake, not a nuclear reactor! Out loud she said, "Alright, but I'm going to need your Inspector's number first. Got to check it out first otherwise it's my neck on the line."

Carmichael laughed. "Sure, you can, but it's just going to waste the committee's time. They want everything set up by 5:00 and we both know that we got a lot of work ahead of us, so why don't we just get to it?"

Ah yes, the old "act like I'm supposed to be here" tactic. It might work for some lowly minimum wage slave but for someone in the IT field it was plain as day. Carmichael might have pulled it off if she wasn't aware that tactic was how Kevin Mitnick, hacker extraordinaire, managed to penetrate so many businesses.

"Sorry, but as they say south of the border 'No way José'. We had problems last night with somebody trying to rip us off and I'm sure the committee would prefer that I don't half-ass the security measures. Fork over the Inspector ID or you can wait for tonight to see them along with everyone else," Anna said as she tapped her foot in impatience.

As she reached into her pocket for her cell phone Anna felt something flat and hard jammed right into her kidneys. "It looks like you needed that refresher at Charm School Charlie. Good thing I'm here to clean up your messes again."

"Wow, you really are a judgemental bitch. Did anyone ever tell you that or were they too busy ogling you to notice? No wonder Charlie here dumped you like a hot potato the first chance he got," Anna muttered.

"Shut up and listen," Ms. totally not Claire Fontaine said. "Talk again out of turn and I'll empty this gun into you. With this crowd nobody would notice until I was long gone. Nod if you understand."

Anna did and then added, "Did she always try to knock you down Charlie? She seems like the type that gets off on making people feel shitty."

"Not always..." Charlie began.

Sam reacted by pulling Anna's ponytail back and jamming the gun further into her back. "Do you think this is a joke?" she growled.

"I thought it was my turn to talk," Anna hissed between her teeth. "You got to be more specific about these things. I'm not... Ouch quit pulling damn it! I'm not a fraking mind reader here!"

"You are going to get us into the storage area without a peep. Once inside you are going to admit a van into the garage. If you deviate from this or try to alert anyone you will die. Ask any questions and you will die. Follow our instructions and you might get to live. Say 'yes' and only 'yes' if you understand."

Anna rolled her eyes and uttered, "Yes". In hindsight Morgan might have been right to be cautious but then again hindsight was a pain. She prayed that he'd been able to contact Mal and that help was on the way.

She was being marched back to the storage area when her foot came down on a beer bottle and caused her to slip. The people on the island love their beer after all. Well beer and littering apparently. Redhead didn't share this appreciation however and she hauled Anna back on her feet by grapping her hair. "I'm going to go bald at this rate!" she thought and cursed her capturer in Spanish.

Anna hadn't gone two steps when something went splat all over her and Sam. Warm nacho cheese coated them both, and Sam recoiled in shock. Anna sensed her opening and elbowed the woman square in the face before ducking behind a stand. As she ran she heard a gunshot behind her but that didn't even slow her progress. Anna ducked into a snack vendor's stall where she hid behind a cotton candy machine that looked older than she was.

Taking the opportunity to take inventory of herself, Anna happily noted that she indeed avoided being shot. She did however have blood on her elbow but she just figured that she nailed the spy in the nose when she elbowed her. The guy running the stall noticed too but Anna managed to calm him down. "Don't worry, it's not mine," she joked and the guy couldn't help but laughed. Dark humor does go a long way when you're scared stiff or so she told herself.

Once the giggles had stopped, Anna volunteered to scout the area out. She went out the back and peered around the corner. To her relief the boys in blue had gotten there in time. They surrounded Carmichael and his ex with their guns at the ready. Sam lay on the ground with a hole in her shoulder either going through shock or trying to avoid pissing the cops off. "So she was the one that got shot. Good to know," Anna noted to herself with satisfaction. She was afraid Red had tried to shoot her and hit someone else instead. Plus she was feeling vindictive towards the woman for the hair pulling.

Morgan stood there alongside Mal, with a couple plastic cups full of nacho cheese in hand. It must have been the spicy kind since Carmichael YELPED (of all things) when Morgan tossed one in his eyes when he made like he was going to reach into his pocket. So he was the one that distracted the wench with the cheese before. She never knew that Morgan could have pulled off such a perfect toss and for once she wished they'd take up Ultimate Frisbee. They so would have kicked ass at it.

Morgan caught her eyes and put on his goofiest smile as he gave her the thumbs up. Anna couldn't help but reply in kind. She stopped these jerks from messing with her friends and maybe even helped save the day. Maybe things were turning around after all.

0-0

Chuck and Sarah had gotten lost a few times looking for the exit to the building since neither had been conscious when Shaw and his lackeys dragged them here. Chuck's internal map sadly was out of date and twice they found an exit walled up. For once though luck was on their side as they stumbled upon where Shaw had stashed their possessions. Chuck was in the middle of dissembling his iPhone looking for unwanted transmitters and bugs while Sarah took stock of her seized assets. Her wallet and keys were there along with the PPK pistol allocated to her along with a few other things that caught her eye, a radio transmitter, an scoped rifle she couldn't identify, and a Smith and Weston pistol that was identical to the one she used in Burbank. Hefting the piece she looked at the serial number only to feel a chill go up her spine. It was the same gun!

Sarah's "spy senses" were going nuts now. Instinct caused her to open her wallet and she went through its contents. The her cash was there along with her driver's license and... her CIA ID. She knew it was the genuine article by the dent in the corner it got from when Bryce lost his keys and Sarah used her card to jimmy the deadbolt. Somehow Shaw, or whoever he was working for, had managed to retrieve it from Langley without raising any alarms. They went a long way to gain genuine proof that she was in Intelligence, hell they wanted a big red sign saying that she was a spook. And since this mystery party was expecting her to be neutralized...

"Oh hell. Chuck, I think they're were planning on planting this on me!" she exclaimed.

Chuck was already putting his phone back together when he looked up. A glance at the table caused him to Flash on the transmitter, identifying it as an explosives detonator. "Oh no. Sarah, do you remember anything from when you were grabbed?"

"No," she admitted reluctantly. "I was out the whole time until Shaw woke me with his supervillian antics. They could have smeared my fingerprints over an armory's worth of weapons and I wouldn't have noticed. We got to get rid of everything that could classify as a weapon here, now while we have time. "

Chuck looked confused "Why? You think they were planning on framing you for something?"

"They might have done so already. Help me gather everything here." Sarah said as she grabbed the guns.

Chuck lead Sarah to a remote corner of a warehouse and pried open a grate for her. Sarah used an unconscious goon's shirt to wipe down the weapons for prints and shoved the weapons inside as far as she could. Even the PPK went inside out of fear some innocent soul had been killed with it. The only thing Sarah kept was her ID card. She felt the inkling of a good cover for their kidnapping coming to mind and like she was apt to say, the best covers often contained a grain of truth.

Finally the two of them were outside but still Sarah was not happy. Chuck was safe and sound but her father... she couldn't bear to think what was being done to him now once Shaw was no longer able to communicate with the kidnappers. Chuck sensed she was still tense and tugged on her arm to get her to stop pulling him.

Chuck gathered her in his arms as she spun to face him. "What's wrong?" Chuck whispered to her. "You think there's more goons out there?"

"No," Sarah sighed. "It's my father." She told him that her father had been taken by Shaw's men and what they were planning on doing to him since she refused to tell them about Host 616. That she'd picked Chuck's life over her father's and that she was certain his demise would not be brief. Chuck gave her a quick peck on the lips and gave her his warmest smile.

"It's not over yet. We got three things on our side. One: Shaw was playing cat and mouse with me so they won't be expecting him to call anytime soon. Two: I have Shaw's cell. He's bound to use it to call these guys and he's arrogant enough not to worry about me getting it."

"That's for certain. But what's point three?" She asked hopefully.

"We got Orion on our side."

Chuck gave her Shaw's flip phone and dug his own iPhone out. He quickly texted "Flynn's Arcade" to a number his father had him memorize for emergencies and moment s later his phone buzzed.

Sarah leaned in as Chuck took the call. They were immediately greeted to the sound of the Orion modulated voice. "Charles, what's wrong?" his father asked calmly. Even without the voice modulator his father wouldn't let worry enter into the equation.

"I'm alright but a man's life is a stake. I need your help locating him so that we can send the cops to rescue him," Chuck explained.

"I might be willing to help but first you must tell me who I'm looking for. If one of your agents pressured you into bailing one of theirs out I'm going to have to pass," his father replied. Now here was the part Chuck dreaded. His father wasn't exactly Sarah's biggest fan to begin with and her father wasn't the type of person he would respect. Chuck wasn't sure if he could convince him to help but he had to try.

"It's Sarah's father," Chuck said. "He was taken by people looking to coerce Sarah into giving Host 616's identity. Shaw was planning on having him tortured while he made Sarah watch."

The line was quiet for a moment but Chuck could practically hear the gears turning in his head. He could rationalize her reasons for why she did it as protecting an asset but he couldn't ignore the fact that if Chuck was right she'd chosen his son's life over her own father's. For someone that had lost his family for over a decade he couldn't stand by and let some else loose theirs too.

"Shaw you say, as in Daniel Shaw? Funny, my findings paint him to be a true believer," Orion said offhand as he furiously typed into a nearby keyboard. "Considering the fact that we're having this conversation now I know he's not there with you. Do you know where he is?"

"Sure do. I left him duct taped in a broom closet. I shot with him some of that miracle Twilight Dart stuff so he won't be bothering us anytime soon."

Stephen was shocked to say the least. The reports also painted Shaw as a very deadly operative that had accumulated a high body count. Still, Charles wasn't one for tall tales or empty boasts so it must be true. How he managed such a feat without even getting a yellow belt in Karate was sure to be quite a tale. "A pity. We could have used him to buy us more time, or at least give us the location of the hostage."

"I wouldn't worry about time right now. Shaw was planning on carrying out his version of _The Deadliest Game_ with me so he'd probably told them he'd be unavailable for awhile. I also picked up a burner phone off Shaw so we can just pick out the recent numbers from it and track these guys down." Chuck turned to Sarah, "Hey Sarah, what's the last number dialed in?"

"It's 555-195-6501. Shaw dialed it a few times already so it got to be it!" she exclaimed.

Orion heard her on his end and ran a tracer on it. Moments later he had a location. It was an old _Picante Pollo_ restaurant in New Mexico. He always suspected something unruly was happening in the back of those Fried Chicken places. "Okay Charles, I found the last location of that cell phone. I'm going to broadcast shots have been fired there over the police frequencies so they'll really pick up the pace. I'll also try to arrange a safe place to put him in the interim but I'll need to get him to trust us. "

Chuck silently passed the phone to Sarah. She immediately knew what to say."Tell him that Sarah MacReady's still expecting that ice cream cone for winning the spelling bee, so he better stay put until she can cash in."

"I'll call when I have news," Orion said before hanging up.

Sarah handed the phone back to Chuck wordlessly. Things went quiet, not the hostile type nor the comfortable one. It was a the tense kind where you weren't sure what could happen .

Eventually Chuck decided to break the silence. "So, Sarah MacReady. Was it one of your aliases or..."

"It's the name on my birth certificate," Sarah admitted to him. Chuck couldn't help marvel how much of an impact such a simple sentence could have. This was big, really big! Sarah was always so secretive about her past that sharing such an important detail was momentous. Still, now was not the type to drive this home.

Chuck shot her his warmest smile. "I always knew the name Sarah suited you well. Whenever I hear about an old alias you went by it just didn't seem fit for me."

Sarah found herself smiling despite her situation. "Thank you. It was Graham that chose my name for me when he recruited me, I guess it was his way of saying 'I know everything about you', but still I was actually glad he chose Sarah as my new identity's name. My mother was the one that named me when I was born and I was happy that I got to get back that little part of her even after all these years."

"Your mother..." Chuck said hesitantly. "I never heard you talk about her before. Did... did something happen to her?"

"She passed away when I was eight," Sarah told him flatly. She'd toyed with shutting down this line of question but in the end she found herself wanting to share. Chuck had been so forthcoming with her in the past about his life and she knew she could trust him with the more painful parts of her life. "The doctor said she got cancer in her lungs. My dad thought it was just a persistent cough at first but after the second month she was having trouble breathing."

Sarah paused for a moment to swallow the lump forming in her throat. This was why she always kept to herself in the past. Her emotions were volatile things that had threatened to overwhelm her, and that always served to make her a liability to her father and later the agency. Chuck, being no stranger to grief, clasped her hands and waited for her regain her equilibrium. Some things you can't hurry no matter what.

"I wish I had some happy memories to hold on to of her but all I can remember was how frail she was in her final months. I vaguely remember playing in the tag with her when I was younger. Dad said she was a track star in college, just like I became. I'd love to have known her in her prime instead having my clearest memories of her being bedridden for two years. "

"Maybe you can ask your dad about her when this is all over. He must of loved her dearly to have married her, so he must be chock full of good memories to share," Chuck suggested.

Sarah considered his words. Her father had gone without even mentioning her mother for most of her childhood and teenage years, but maybe... Maybe he just needed to be prodded. Chuck told her one time that too many people mistake pessimism for realism and that's why they're miserable so often. Perhaps she could use some of that optimism he had in abundance, that things could work out and she'd get the chance to mend the relationship with her father like Chuck was trying to with his. Absentmindedly she brought one of Chuck's hands to her lips and kissed it softly.

A buzzing was heard and Chuck used his free hand to pull his phone out without taking his eyes off of her. He took one look at the screen and showed her its message. She couldn't recognize the number but the message was clear. "RJM says no problem but SM will need to bring the ice cream. Prefers Chunky Monkey if possible."

"He's okay," Sarah whispered to herself. She pulled Chuck into her arms and kissed his curly head. Chuck didn't get a chance to hear her but he got the message loud and clear. Orion got the job done in his usual effective manner. Chuck wasn't sure how he was going to thank him but he figured covering the ticket for Tron Legacy when it finally comes out was a good step forward.

"See, I knew things would work out,," Chuck said in his upbeat manner. "Now all we need to do is get back into town and..."

"Wait, we still need to deal with Shaw and his lackeys," Sarah brought up. Chuck tensed up for a moment but she put him at ease. "I meant that we need to get them into custody. I don't feel comfortable leaving Shaw unattended, especially since he has an idea what's going on."

"But how are we going to explain all of this?" Chuck asked.

"With this," Sarah said as she pulled her ID card out. "I'll use my real identity to explain my involvement in all this. The CIA was collaborating with the cops on this so they won't get suspicious about Agency presence on the island. I'll say that I was on vacation seeing you when I got the alert and had to report in so I can explain how I know about the nuclear material. Shaw was a traitor looking to sabotage the investigation and kidnapped the both of us to coerce me into telling him how much I knew. "

"Okay, but what about how we got loose? I don't think I can lie that well for the nice police officers not to notice," Chuck brought up.

" We'll keep in the elaborate cat and mouse game Shaw was playing with you to keep your story consistent with the camera equipment inside plus explaining why you weren't bound and could escape. You managed to overpower Shaw, let me loose from my chains and I proceeded to use my Black Belt in Martial Arts to neutralize the rest of his men."

"I'll say that I owe my escape to my encyclopedic knowledge of MacGuyver episodes. Well that and you're naturally badass," Chuck said bashfully.

"You charmer," Sarah said as she gave him one more peck on the lips. She took the phone from Chuck and dialed 911 while she scanned the area. Chuck slumped against the building's wall and let out a breath. Maybe things were turning around after all.

A/N: I remember that Chuck used to have a guitar sitting in the corner of his room during season 1 so I assumed he used to play. And Sarah's birth name is an indirect reference to The Thing since I like to imagine her father was using the name R.J. MacReady when she was born (staying in the "using the protagonist's name from John Carpenter movies " area).


	26. Chapter 26

A/N: Thumbs up to everyone that reviewed, favored and/or just read my story. Your support helps me find the inspiration to hash out the ideas floating in my head.

**Chapter 26**

The police station was abuzz with activity as Chuck was ushered into a seat by the nice police officer. Unlike most people conveyed to this place the officers were polite with Chuck and was treated with kid gloves while he was being questioned, though he wasn't sure if it was out of sympathy or everyone wanted to avoid pissing Sarah off. By now word would have circulated about how many men she'd subdued and that was sure to get even the hardest of hardboiled cops to sit up and take notice. Even so, he couldn't argue with results since he was sitting here sipping on a cup of coffee instead of cooling his heels in a cell. Popping up three times on the police's radar was a sure-fire way of drawing a lot of unwanted attention after all.

Sarah was still answering questions so Chuck was left there sitting in the lobby wishing his cup of Joe was a can of Coke. He had contemplated calling Morgan up, and lo and behold his best bud was being ushered in by the boys in blue. He wasn't in cuffs which was a good sign and was flanked by Anna and Bryce. His one time nemesis was doing his best to avoid Flashing by keeping his gaze earthbound which was why he didn't register Chuck's presence until Morgan nudged him. By now Chuck's belief in happenstance had been shaken and he had to wonder why his friends were here. He waved Morgan and crew over as Anna noticed him and they quickly joined him. He noticed that Anna's elbow was bandaged as she sat down and Bryce made a conscious decision to sit far away from Morgan. It was almost like he was sulking, which was as un-Bryce-like as possible.

"Holy smokes! What are you guys doing here?!" he exclaimed.

"Snipe hunting, " Anna replied coolly. "Bagged us a couple of fowl persons sniffing around the fireworks displayed. Look familiar?" she said as she showed off a Wanted poster with Mr. Montebloom's murderers. The curly haired guy and the woman had big Xs drawn through their face.

"Our first bounty! Man, you should have seen it! Jonah Hex couldn't have done it better," Morgan replied.

Bryce even chimed in. "Yeah! Morgan was all "yah" with some tubs of hot nacho cheese and Mal's all 'drop it scumbag!' and stopped the nasty lady from capping Anna. She leaked blood but she not dead."

"Whoa, whoa. Hold up guys, you better start from the beginning, " Chuck said. And away the narration went. Between the three of them Chuck had to juggle facts around to figure out what happened but apparently Morgan spotted the suspects and Anna distracted them until the police arrived. The guy, Charlie (who Morgan claimed was his evil twin but he wasn't seeing it) tried to charm his way into getting close to the fireworks storage area and when he failed his former lady friend Sam tried to coerce Anna into taking them there. Morgan and Mal managed to save the day (there's a lot of that going around) but Anna was still worried. There was mention about some ominous sounding equipment after all. Who knows what could it have been?

A terrible thought had came to Chuck. What if it was the bomb?

"Mal said that the cops are looking around for this van but on a day like today it'll be like looking for a needle under a stack of E.T. cartridges," Morgan told him.

"Don't worry guys, maybe the cops can squeeze something out of those guys you helped capture. They got to know something," Chuck said.

Bryce shook his head sadly. His face held a lucidity that surprised Chuck and made him feel a bit nervous. "They're Agency, I know they are. They've been taught to withstand torture and to avoid the usual interrogation traps. We'll be out of time well before anything useful can be learned."

Morgan shrugged. "Not much we can do anyways. Let's hope the cops can uncover something 'cause I'm deadly allergic to being blown up."

"I think everyone is Morgan," a new voice replied and everyone turned to faced to see it was Sarah that joined them. Like the ninja Chuck always suspected her of being, Sarah had joined the conversation without anyone noticing. "I just got done answering Officer Jackson's questions so they let me out. I think they still my help with something so I'm going to stick around. And from the looks of things, me and Chuck aren't the only ones that had some excitement. What are you guys doing here?"

"Well, I hate playing Ms. Exposition but I'll make an exception this time, " Anna told her before launching into their story with Morgan adding in his two cents. Sarah took it all in with her usual level of professionalism, not even blinking when the name "Charles Carmichael" came up.

She knew that thanks to everyone's efforts on Operation Bartowski that a legend had been built up around the identity, so much so that the higher ups couldn't bring themselves to mothball it. She suspected that another agent, one with similar build to Chuck, would have been assigned it in the field but for newly promoted field agent to take it over was... peculiar. There must be something more to this green agent that they'd be willing to bequeath such a built up identity to him. She'd have to question him to be certain but there was no way that was going to happen. That is unless...

"Say Chuck, do you think the Chief of Police would mind if I sat in on an interrogation? You've met the man briefly so you'd have a good read on him," Sarah asked.

"Hmm... he seems pretty by the book to me but I think he might be flexible if it means getting that nuke off the streets," he replied. "I doubt a little supervised Q & A would ruffle any of his feathers."

"Probably be best. From what Anna and Morgan said this guy might respond to a light touch better. If that Sam woman was his superior on this operation of theirs I bet he'd be happy to talk to somebody with more professional courtesy."

Anna snorted. "That's putting it mildly. Everything about her just radiated psycho-bitch. I bet she was the type that got off on giving other girls eating disorders in school."

"The relationship gone sour angle might work if I need to pit them against each other. That tends to make things sticky though so I'll save that tactic for later. For now I can play the unsanctioned operation card. They didn't respond to the alert from a few days ago so there's no way what they're running is legitimate," Sarah said brightly. "If I convince him that there's something off about it I might get him to talk. I just wish I could confer with Casey before I go but his phone's been off for awhile now."

"Casey? You mean Colonel John Casey?" Everyone turned to face an older uniformed police officer with a stack of folders tucked under an armpit. "He's cooling his heels in a cell now. "

"Are you sure?" Sarah asked him more forcefully than she meant.

The officer, either privy to her early victory or simply cowed by her intensity stepped back subconsciously. He regarded her for a moment before carefully saying, "Yes ma'am. I put him in the back of the cruiser myself. Carefully too, which was quite the feat I must say. Neighbors claim to have seen him brandishing a gun in a threatening manner so the chief had us taser him. "

"Chief Peyton was there?" Chuck asked. It did seem odd that the chief of police would ride along for a potentially violent takedown.

"Yeah. Claimed that something odd was going on and wanted to make sure everything was done by the book. Didn't say what exactly but from what I gathered it's the sort of thing you'd expect in a Robert Ludlum novel. Cloak and dagger gone awry and raining shit down on us hard working stiffs," the officer noted in a lower voice. Chuck wasn't sure if he wanted to avoid sounding paranoid to his brothers in blue or if he was worried about a trip to Guantanamo Bay.

Sarah's eyebrows furrowed. "That may be very possible officer..."

"Captain Stacey," he supplied. "And please spare me the Spider-Man jokes. The younger guys never let up with those."

Sarah continued."Well Captain Stacey, I think you might be right but I'm going to need to talk to Colonel Casey about what he knows as well as the two prisoners that just came in. "

"It's not protocol but the chief's been breathing down our necks getting him to talk. I can lead you to the Colonel but only for a short time. If you can get anything from him though you'll have to share. Got it?" Stacey asked and Sarah nodded. " Good. The GQ couple are a different matter though. Nobody's getting into the same room as them without the chief's say so. You'll have to talk to him about it."

"I can do that," Sarah said to him. To Chuck she asked, "You okay waiting here with me?".

"Yeah, I got to call Ellie anyways. You know how my sister gets if she doesn't hear from me every so often," Chuck sheepishly replied.

"Good, " Sarah said before planting a kiss on his head. "This one has a tendency to get into trouble with too much free time," she said to Anna.

"Tell me about it," Morgan jumped right in. "When Anna is between jobs she gets bored then creative. One day I leave for a shift and when I get back my loving bunch went and made a apartment sized diorama recreating Helm's Deep with Legos and food dye for blood."

"Hey, that was awesome!" she said defensively.

"It was but you got it on my Star Wars sheets. There's so many stains on it now it looks like Han Solo moonlights as a axe murderer!" Morgan told her. "But now that I think about, it does make me wondering if he was dumping more than just Jabba's stuff when he got boarded."

"Save that thought, I'll be right back," Sarah said as she let Office Stacey escort her to the hold, with thoughts of a homicidal Harrison Ford to keep her company. Things never got boring when the Burbank Bunch were around.

Sarah stood in front of the cell housing a very dishevelled John Casey. He was still wearing the same loud Hawaiian shirt as before but now it was covered in dirt. When he saw her he looked relieved, or as relieved as John Casey ever got.

"Walker," he greeted her in his usual gruff manner.

"Casey," she replied back. "Give me a sit-rep. Why are you here?"

"Not saying another word with an audience Walker," he stated.

Stacey looked around nervously for a moment before giving in. "Fine, I'm overdue for a coffee break anyways."

As soon as the officer left Casey leaned in. "Cops nabbed me as I was leaning on Black. From the sounds of things she was in the dark about last night but it doesn't mean she's completely innocent here."

"Are you sure? The timing is suspicious," Sarah told him.

"I didn't give her time to make a call so that leaves us with one person."

"Tang," Sarah said in disgust. "Next time I see that little twerp I'm going to literally throw him under a bus. Where you able to get anything useful at least?"

"Yes but you're not going to like any of it. First of all, your boss has been going behind our backs giving Shaw full access to the base without telling Beckman," Casey told her.

"Figures that he's the cause of the security breakdown."

"You're not surprised that your Agency's golden boy dirty?" Casey asked with a hint of surprise. "Those heavy duty black ops types are usually a blind spot for your judgement."

Sarah ignored the barb. She didn't have the patience to discuss her history with Bryce or the flirty Cole. "He captured Chuck and myself to attain Host 616's identity. His plan..." Sarah paused to spit on the ground."He was planning on torturing Chuck and later my father to death to coerce me into giving up his identity. He might have succeeded too if he didn't play cat and mouse with Chuck first."

"So you escaped and took him down while he was playing his twisted game."

"It's true I escaped but I wasn't the one that neutralized him," Sarah said confidently.

"You didn't?" Casey asked. "What, are you telling me Bartowski took down a fully trained operative?" When Sarah responded with a smirk he add softly, "Chuck me. You're not kidding are you. How the hell did that happen?"

"Chuck's always been a smart guy and he's pretty handy with tools. Plus he was worried about me and you know the lengths he'd go to for the people he's close with."

Casey shook his head. Wonders never ceased when it came to the nerd. "Remind me to go easy on the gnome in the future. Anyways, that can wait for later. I'm sitting here for two reasons. One, the cops placed me at Montebloom's place the night he was killed. I cut my leg hopping a fence while escaping the cops. The Spearhead on the tops of the fence are unique so I can't claim I cut it on a seashell."

"What's the other reason?" she asked.

"Somebody has thoroughly sabotaged my cover as a DARPA consultant. Peyton ran a background check and my story didn't hold water. I was able to contact a friendly but he wasn't able to raise the General," Casey recounted.

"You thinking she left you out to dry?"

"I'm thinking that somebody got to her. I've worked for the General for years and she's a jarhead through and through. 'Never a man behind'. She lived by those words and there's nothing on God's Green Earth that would make her go against that principal," he firmly said.

"So you think she's been taken," Sarah concluded. Considering what time it was there certainly was enough time between now and when the briefing occurred for it to have gone down. But there wasn't many people with the resources to pull off kidnapping a general without raising any flags. There were a few fringe groups... and the Agency. "Casey, I got a bad feeling about this. Even if you're right I can't go to Director Mason with just your gut instinct. I need to verify that something went down right."

"I'm open to any suggestions. It's not like either of us can get to D.C. now with the Island under lockdown."

"I think I have someone in mind. An agent I worked with before that I know is stateside," Sarah volunteered.

"Can you trust him with this? This may involve working behind the CIA's back," Casey pointed out. "This got your Agency's fingerprints all over it and we aren't going to get anything by playing nice."

"Trust me, he's reliable. He's worked with Shaw for awhile so he's very eager to rip his reputation to shred. All I have to do is insinuate he's involved in kidnapping a U.S. general and he'll be on the case faster than you can say Mississippi."

"Better than a kick in the pants. See what your agent can do and make sure you get back on the nukes' track. We've been sidetracked too much for my tastes," Casey grumbled.

"Mine too," Sarah agreed. "At least I have some good news. Two of the perpetrators behind Montebloom's death have been caught so I'm going to see if I can get them talking. I'll have to play this with kid's gloves but I think I might have an in with the male."

"You often do. Good hunting Walker."

Realizing she'd been dismissed Sarah nodded to Casey before returning to Captain Stacey. She had a phone call to make and she hoped Rhodes' desire to spite Shaw was still strong.

0-0

Damien Rhodes sat at his brand spanking new desk sipping his quarter-way decent cup of coffee. It wasn't the best he's had, not even breaking his top 100 brew, but at he had could enjoy it without worrying about having to abandon it at a moment's notice. It baffled him that many in the field took such small pleasures for granted but then again it wasn't usually the conservative recruits that drifted towards field duty. Live fast and die young certainly was a popular motto for these adventure junkies which was why he was here able to indulge in a cup of Joe while so many of his compatriots lay in some ditch somewhere, abandoned and forgotten.

That is, when their leaders weren't completely psychotic. That damn Shaw had done more than his fill providing the reaper with fresh crop, sending good loyal and dedicated junior agents to their early demise. His appointed head doctor suggested he avoided thinking about his former superior to help lower his blood pressure but it was a bitter pill to swallow. It certainly didn't help that when he had these quiet moments to himself he couldn't help thinking of how Shaw had robbed Owens, Kovacs and the others of their own moments of happiness. The man was poison and even now he'd tarnished whatever little joys he could afford himself. It wasn't very charitable but he'd hoped Daniel Shaw immediate future held nothing but pain, if not for his sake but for Walker's.

He sat there trying to will such pessimistic thoughts out of his head when his phone rang. Much to his puzzlement a quick scan of the number shown it came from Hawaii. Now who the hell would be calling him from there? The desire to find out won out and he took the call. "This is Damien Rhodes. Can I help you?"

"Damien, this is Sarah. How've you been doing?" Well speak of the devil.

"Sarah Walker, is that you? Wow, I did not expect a call from you at all. Is your job with our least favorite co-worker done?"

Sarah didn't hesitant to jump right in. "The one you were aware of yes was done but we got a Blackwatch Plaid Alert right after and we've been collaborating with our sister agency to track down some hot merchandise on the island," she explained. This wasn't a secure line so she'd allude to things to maintain plausible deniability. In this case "Hot Merchandise" referred to nuclear materials. She continued, "Shaw was involved in the mess and tried to get some info from me. He's cooling his heels in jail now after I refused to share and he got aggressive."

"No shit?" he asked disbelievingly. Mr. By the Book Daniel Shaw stepped out of line? It was almost too good to be true.

"None whatsoever. A source thinks he had something to do with picking up an unwanted house guest," she added. A kidnapping too? My, Mr. Shaw has been busy.

"Anyone I know?" he asked offhand.

"Yes. Diane Beckman."

Damien shook his head. Shaw must be ambitious if his outfit napped the head of the NSA. "Whoa, this is... some interesting news to say the least. I take it this news isn't something you want floating around the office. Any reason why?"

"I don't want Cathy to find out," Sarah said. it was an older term but "Cathy" referred to a double agent. "I want to sit on this until I got a better understanding of the situation. I'm stuck in the Islands right now, so would you mind asking a few questions for me?"

"First I heard of somebody being stuck in Hawaii, but yes I can ask around for you. I'm worried about Danny too." He was suspicious about Shaw for ages. Maybe he could help put some of those nasty feelings to rest if he did this.

"Thanks Damien. First rounds on me when I get back to the mainland."

"I'm holding you to that drink Sarah. Good hunting."

Sarah shut the phone off and let out a breath. Having Damien on the job certainly took a load off her mind. If there was evidence of Beckman's disappearance she couldn't imagine anyone better suited to tracking it down. Now she had to get to the new (and definitely not improved) Charles Carmichael and his hostile cohort.

Captain Stacey saw the writing on the way and handed off escort duty to a junior uniform before excusing himself. He said he had reports to file but Sarah was certain he wanted to avoid looking too chummy with a spy. Cops did believe in guilt by association and spooks definitely were below dirt in their esteem right about now.

To her surprise the Chief Peyton agreed to have her sit in.

"Charles Carmichael or whatever his name is looks like he's ready to talk but he just needs that nudge in the right direction. Since you're a senior agent you can play good cop and convince him that you're the only thing saving him from a world of crap. So far the beanpole thinks he's just doing his duty but if an actual CIA agent tells him otherwise..."

"He'll start to doubt the legitimacy of the operation," Sarah finished. "The chain of command can be murky at times and it's possible that someone higher up the food chain is playing some dangerous games."

"So you're a quick study. Good to hear. Keep your cool in there and this might work," Peyton told her. "Follow me."

The unlikely duo made their way down the corridors where much activity was happening. Much to Sarah's surprise most of the incoming "guests" were drunken revealers, petty thieves and blooded brawlers. Even with the possible threat of nuclear devastation things were business as usual. Chuck used to mention how odd the normalcy of the Buy More seemed after an op and now Sarah could understand. After being in intense situations you'd just think everyone else should be all keyed up not going about the usual routine. It's certainly a major shock when what you expect doesn't mesh with the reality.

The two stopped outside of an interrogation room. Peyton turned to face Sarah. "Usually one of my detectives would be handling the interview but today I'll be the one taking the lead."

Sarah did her best to look perplexed instead of showing the suspicion that flitted across her mind. "Why? I can't imagine that's exactly by the book for law enforcement."

Peyton shook his head."Nothing about this situation is by the book, especially with several intelligence agencies treating my island like it's the damn wild west. When the politicians come looking for a scapegoat, and we both know it's a matter of time before that happens, they'll come after this old war horse instead of my officers. "

"You're probably right, " Sarah replied. When the mess hits the fan the higher ups were quick to pass the blame instead of taking responsibility. Control was power in the intelligence field and to make mistakes means that your power to control the situation was weak. Many a working stiff had been sacrificed to cover someone's hubris. "So, do we have anyone listening in or are we doing this by ourselves?"

"We'll have Detectives Miavia and Talbot monitoring the interview," Peyton said before opening the neighboring door. "Detectives , say hello to the spy." A Samoan man and a Caucasian woman turned to wave to Sarah before Peyton closed the door. "If anything goes wrong they'll raise the alert and the SWAT team will be all over Carmichael before he can even blink. I'm not taking any chances here."

The two of them entered the room and sat in front of the man currently using the Charles Carmichael identity. Like Anna described him, he definitely looked overdressed for the island, hi s expensive suit looking out of place where most people dressed lighter to accommodate for the heat. The only thing she couldn't have recounted were the shackles that adorned his wrists and legs. He was currently lying with his head on the table, whether to catch 40 winks or to calm his nerves she wasn't sure. Sarah placed a file folder in front of Carmichael and sized him up. There wasn't time to finagle intel on this Carmichael so the folder just held old reports, but that didn't matter. It made it look like Sarah had dirt on Carmichael and gave the indication that he was official in trouble.

After waiting a beat Peyton turned on the recorder and spoke directly into it. " This is Michael Peyton interviewing Charles Carmichael. Time is currently 2:09. Sarah Walker of the CIA is sitting in."

At the mention of her name Carmichael finally looked up and gasped. For a moment he looked like he zoned out but Sarah knew better. That was the same look Chuck got when he flashed on someone. He Flashed! The new Charles Carmichael was a damn Intersect host! What the hell was they thinking putting such a green agent with that much responsibility anyways?!

Peyton continued, "I see that you're familiar with Agent Walker by reputation so let us begin."

"Y-yeah. Let's," Carmichael said trying his best not look nervous but failing. Whatever the analysts said about her must have been scary. He looked like a stiff breeze could knock him over.

"Agent Carmichael, are you familiar with the alert codenamed Blackwatch Plaid?" Sarah asked him.

"Yes, that's when all nearby agents are supposed to report into the nearest base of operations or safe house as soon as possible, even if they're in deep cover. Not that I was or anything like that," Carmichael quickly added. "It's usually reserved for worst case scenarios. Why do you ask? You thinking I'm not up to date on protocol?"

Sarah sadly shook her head. "If only. A few days ago one went up and all available agents were brought in to help with a manhunt. I was here on vacation when a secret research base was hit and since I have valuable experience as an analyst I was working with the local PD."

Carmichael had enough time to regain his confidence and met her gaze. "Somehow I'm not buying the whole 'I was just in the neighborhood' bit. My sources tell me you're the quintessential workaholic and more of an assassin than a desk jockey. What really were you doing on the island Walker? What nefarious plot were YOU up to before you came in to horn in on our operation?"

Peyton cocked an eyebrow at Sarah, disbelieving how much of a hole his suspect dug himself trying to discredit her. In his zeal to drive a wedge between spy and police officer he just admitted to running an operation on U.S. soil.

"Agent Carmichael, I'm not sure what your 'sources' tell you but I'm human like everyone else. Even I get burned out and need time for some R&R. You need to be careful with what you gleam for them as well. Your 'sources' can be misleading due to biases and misinformation, so you got to take what you get with a grain of salt," Sarah chided him.

"What makes you qualified to know what resources I'm working with?" Carmichael asked.

"The very thing that tells me that you're not even the first 'Charles Carmichael' the Agency has ever had on its roster," Sarah said as she starred him down. After a moment Carmichael finally clued onto what she was implying. She recognized that "Flashing" thing right off the bat! A feeling of vulnerability took over as the knowledge that his cover was completely blown sink in and his courage began to wane.

The Chief cleared his throat. Walker succeeded in shaking Carmichael up but they were getting sidetracked with the 'need to know' stuff. "So as I understand it, you admit to running an illegal intelligence operation on U.S. soil. Is that correct?" Peyton clarified. Carmichael sputtered a denial but nobody was buying it. "I can run the recording back to you if you'd like to hear your words. I'm afraid that the evidence is simply piling up about your crimes. Obstruction of justice, break and entering, assault with a deadly weapon and first degree murder are just the tip of the iceberg and I have a feeling that there's more to find over time. "

"Murder that's ridiculous!" Carmichael sputtered

"Is it? Tell me Mr. Carmichael, where were you last night between 10:00 and 11:45?" Peyton asked him.

"I was at the Hotel Albayo hanging out at the bar the whole time. Yeah, getting real loaded. I ran into my ex earlier on and I wanted to forget the bad memories so I had a few drinks. I don't remember what time it was when I went upstairs but I'm sure the cameras would tell you," he told them. His alibi sounded oddly rehearsed to Sarah, like he was parroting back someone else's story. "I wasn't anywhere near a mansion! You got to believe me."

"A mansion? Agent Walker, my memory must be failing me. Did anyone make mention of a mansion at all?" Peyton asked Sarah.

"No sir, not at all. In fact the only mansion I can think of is... wait does it have something to do with the Montebloom place?" Sarah asked with fake ignorance.

Sensing a narrative being cemented, Peyton continued, "Why yes, it does Agent Walker. I'm sure that you were busy with the investigation so you wouldn't have been aware that a murder had occurred there. Several people had broken in and murdered the owner in cold blood. Eyewitnesses claim that a man matching Mr. Carmichael was seen there and a Wanted bulletin was posted over TV, radio and around town."

"Exactly! That's how I knew about the mansion. I thought you were going to pin that on me when you brought me in!" Carmichael exclaimed.

"So you were aware that the police were looking for someone with your description? I'm curious Carmichael but why didn't you just come to the police yourself. It would have given more credence to your alibi if you volunteered instead of having to give it in cuffs, " Sarah noted.

"Oh great, the high and mighty ice queen is giving me lectures now. Well you can forget it! I'm not saying another thing. I'm pleading the fifth! You'll just have to get your hands dirty if you want anything else from me!" Carmichael shouted at her.

_"Must have touched a nerve," _ Sarah thought to herself. She knew that things were strained with this Sam agent but she didn't realize the extent if one professional critique was enough to set him off. She didn't realize until working with Shaw how much pressure a poisonous team dynamic put on you and she could see some of that showing.

"I wouldn't worry about getting a confession from you anyways, " Peyton told him. We found a partial on a spent bullet casing on the premises half buried under a cactus and it's a match with your thumbprint. No matter what you say or do now you're still looking at a Murder 1 charge."

"But that's not the worst of it," Sarah added. "There's still the treason charges to worry about. Not even the most expensive legal team would be willing to touch your case if word got out that you killed Montebloom to cover up the smuggling of a thermonuclear device onto American soil. If anything it would be the nail in your coffin."

Sarah looked at the man in front of her go from defiant to crushed in a matter of moments. She felt bad for the man but that didn't excuse the fact that he had aided and abetted the silencing of an integral lead. With him at his lowest though it would be easier to appeal to his softer side.

"Look Charlie, can I can you Charlie? Look Charlie, I know this looks bad for you but that doesn't mean that your life is over yet. I've double checked with Langley when the investigation began for any operations being ran in the area and nobody was aware of your presence here, so it's apparent that you've been running on silent. It's obvious that whoever was leading the operation has been feeding you false information to gain your co-operation and that you weren't aware of the whole picture."

Sarah gave him a moment to digest all of this best continuing. "All we care about is the recovery of the nuclear device. If you help us recover the device it would make it more palatable to the higher ups that you're not an enemy of the state. "

Carmichael was quiet for a moment. "What do you want to know?" he asked at a whisper.

"Let's talk about today," Peyton said taking the lead. "You and your compatriot were eager to gain access to the storage area where the fireworks were being held. Eager enough to put a hole in Ms. Wu. What were you lead to believe about the situation?"

Carmichael swallowed before he began. "My... my team had received information that a sale of agent identities was being made today at the Harvest Festival. We didn't know who was going to be at the meet so one of us was going to pose as Mr. Montebloom's agent. As a precaution we had to setup a jamming system in the optimal area, one that was out of the sight and in the middle of the festival grounds. I was going to have Ms. Wu show me around it, incapacitate her, non-lethally of course, and admit the van with the equipment inside. Things would have gone off without a hitch if whatever incident didn't happen last night and put her on the defensive."

"So you think you'd just smile your pearly whites and make her weak at the knees, eh?" Peyton said disbelievingly. "Did you actually think that was going to work?"

"It has in the past, " Carmichael said. "Though not as often as training would have you believe."

"Tell me about the van. Color, make, condition, anything that comes to mind. A license plate number would be handy too but don't worry if you don't remember," Sarah told him.

"I'm not a car guy, but it was a white van, the type painters use not the mini-can type. I think had a catering company logo on the side. 'Good and Salty Eats'. I think it was in an accident awhile ago since the edge of the bumper looked like it was caved in. Other than that there's not much else I can remember. Sa... I mean Claire was going to drive it up so I wasn't sure where she parked it."

"Did you see what was inside it?" Sarah asked.

"No, I didn't get the chance to," he admitted. "Claire and Al where the ones that handled the equipment. I was busy looking for a 'Ryan Anderson' the whole time so I didn't have the time."

"Pretty unusual. If anything I'd thought it would be suspicious that the most qualified person to handle jamming equipment wasn't getting the chance to inspect it themselves," Sarah said offhand. She didn't have much intel on the current Charles Carmichael except that it sounded like he was once an analyst. It wasn't a big leap to assume he had some aptitude with technology.

"Now that I think about it, you're right. I should have insisted on investigating the equipment but to be honest I just wanted an excuse to stay busy. I'm... I'm not getting along with certain members of my team and I wanted to avoid spending time with them as much as possible," Carmichael volunteered.

"Thank you very much Agent Carmichael, you've been a great help today. Just one more question though. For the duration of the mission who were you reporting to?" Sarah asked him.

" Deputy Director Davis."

_"So Davis was the one running unsanctioned operations? Mason will need to learn about this ASAP," _Sarah thought to herself.

"That's all for now Agent Carmichael," Peyton told him. "My men will be bringing you to your cell in a moment. If you'd like some refreshment just ask one of the uniformed officers and they'll bring you a glass to your cell. "

Peyton and Sarah rose and left Carmichael to his own thoughts. Neither wanted to be in his shoes right now.

The two were joined by the detectives in the hallway. "You get all that detectives?"

"Sure thing chief, " Talbot told him. "We've circulated the description to all available uniforms already."

"Good, keep me informed as the situation progresses," Peyton told Maivia and Talbot. Turning to Sarah he said, "Thanks for the assistance back in there. I doubt I'd be able to get him to talk without your help. If you ever get sick of 'need-to-know' racket I think you have a career in law enforcement."

Sarah smiled. Like Chuck says you just don't get that much praise in Intelligence. "I know blue's my color but I don't think I'm ready to change careers yet. Still, I know a compliment when I hear one and I'm flattered that you think that highly of my interrogation skills. Most in my field think I'm too soft for not resorting to the more shall we say aggressive tactics."

Peyton shook his head. "That's amateur talk right there. You punch someone enough times in the face and they'd cop to any ridiculous thing you want like faking the moon landing. It takes a true pro to get in their head without even laying a finger on them."

"You might have something there, " Sarah replied. "As for now, I'm going to check in on my boyfriend. After what happened with Shaw I'm feeling antsy being so far away from him for this long."

"Wouldn't want to get on your bad side. I got your cell number so I'll keep you abreast of any new developments."

Sarah let Peyton lead her to the lobby where she left Chuck. She scanned the room looking for him and found him by the chairs with a can of Coke Zero in hand. A uniformed officer was chatting with him and the others, his body language suggesting a level of camaraderie if not friendship between the group. Sarah managed to caught his eye and he returned her smile with one of his own. Just as he was about to get up a look of panic overcame him as he ducked to the floor and pulled the others with him. Sarah barely had enough time to pull Chief Peyton to the nearby wall when 2 shots rang out in succession. A uniformed officer that was just around the corner fell into view as the second shot floored him.

A voice called out, "Nobody move!" Thankfully the police station was equipped with safety mirrors and Sarah could see who the gunman was around the corner. A redheaded woman with one arm wrapped around a police officer's neck and the other with said officer's pistol extended was in sight. Charles Carmichael's partner was attempting an escape.


	27. Chapter 27

A/N: Thanks to everyone that left reviews and to **garnetflint** for acting as beta-reader on this chapter.

**Chapter 27**

Chuck's eyes settled on the silver gun the redheaded woman was brandishing in front of him. He couldn't recognize the make (it wasn't popular enough to end up in any FPS he played) but it definitely was one of the pistols the cops used on the Island. She must have suckered one of the cops into letting her get close enough to grab the weapon, maybe by playing sick or using the so-called Charm School's lessons to entice him. The officer, an Asian man not much older than himself, lay on the ground not more than a few feet away.

"Oh shit! Will!" Mal exclaimed. Out of instinct he went to help his brother in blue before a second shot hit the ground beside him.

"Don't move!" the woman identified as Sam bellowed at him. Mal halted his steps but shot her a dirty look.

From the ground a groan was heard. Will, the officer that was shot, was still alive. A hole appeared in his shoulder and blood was seeping out at a faster pace than Chuck was comfortable with.

"Hold still Chen. You don't want to agitate it more than it already is, " Peyton told him. Looking at the shooter he said, "Let Officer Denning tend to Chen. If we don't do something he's going to go into shock and we both know that's the worst thing to leave unattended."

"Nobody's going anywhere until I get out of here!" the agent barked at him.

"Killing an American police officer is going to hurt you in the long run! " Sarah called to her behind cover. "Think it about it! Your face is already caught on camera. They've got your prints and there's a whole station of witnesses to the shooting. There's no way you can cover your tracks now. You let this man die and the Agency is going to gift wrap you for the Feds as soon as you get back to Langley!"

Sam laughed. "The way you talk I almost think you know what you're talking about missy."

"I should, I've been with the Agency for over 10 years. And that's Agent Sarah Walker to you, maggot!" She replied in a drill sergeant's voice that would have made Casey proud.

"The ice queen?" Sam said hesitantly. "You got to be kidding me!"

"Who do you think beat Denning's record for the knife course?"

With her arm still wrapped around the officer's neck, Sam stepped back. _"Maybe this desperate escape wasn't such a great idea after all,"_ she thought to herself.

Sarah drove on. "Give the gun up and let them deal with the injured. The Agency can't allow another black eye so soon after Forrester's cock-up and your team's already up to their collective necks in muck. "

"You think they can stop me, guess again, " Sam boasted but it didn't sound as confident out loud as she intended.

"Let me put it to you like this, " Sarah told her. "Come peacefully and you won't have to deal with me. I've been facing a lot of aggravation lately and I'm tempted to be more than a little heavy handed if you put up a fight."

"Like with those 7 guys Shaw sicced on you?" Chuck said as hecame up behind her. Peyton wasn't happy he'd followed them, but somehow nobody was willing to stop him from trailing behind.

"It was 8. You missed the guy I stuffed into the trash can," Sarah corrected him without taking her eyes off her quarry.

By now Sam realized that bluffing her way through the front door wasn't going to work. She shoved her captive forwards as she went further into the station. She'd spied an exit in the back when she was brought to her cell and figured that it was her best bet out of here. She had a mission to complete, one the Deputy Director himself assigned to her of all people. There were more experienced agents in the field and he'd handpicked her for this mission. Nobody, not even Graham's pet, was going to get in her way.

She was almost to the door when the pain in her shoulder flared up. All this excitement caused the stitches in her shoulder to tear and she could feel the trickle of blood splash onto her dress. She cursed lightly to herself as she tore part of her dress and wrapped it around her reopened wound. By now her pursuers had almost caught up. She had to hurry, otherwise...

"Freeze!" bellowed a voice to her right. In her shock Sam pointed her gun at the voice's direction and received a warning shot in front of her for her troubles. Training kicked in, prompting her to take cover around the corner. By the time she'd situated herself behind a column she finally realized that she had been driven towards the holding cells. To ensure nobody escaped the nearby fire door would only open in case of a fire. She had accidently trapped herself better than any professional could have.

A grunt from one of the cells drew her attention and Sam looked upon a large man with the gaudiest shirt she'd ever seen. He looked upon her with a mix of amusement and patronization that made her dislike the man almost immediately.

"So you're the one making all of that fuss. Figures. It's just like a spook to make such stupid decisions. Thinking you can just fly by the seat of your pants and everything will turn out just peachy keen. I bet you didn't even have a proper infiltration plan in place when you went for the gun," he said with distain.

"You don't know what you're talking about so shut your trap!" she snapped at him.

"Really? Then enlighten me. Why the hell are you running around a police station packing heat with a hole in your shoulder then? This how you half-wits get your jollies these days?"

"I don't have take your shit army man. I've been jerked around too much by assholes like you and I'm not about to take it anymore, so why don't you just shut your trap!" she snarled and pointed the pistol right at him. Casey, to his credit, didn't even bat an eye.

"Ain't the first time somebody stuck a piece in my face. Won't be the last time either," Casey told her. "People usually have a reason for doing so. I'm trying to figure out what yours is spook, cause from where I'm standing what you're doing doesn't seem to make a lick of sense."

The spy glared at Casey but didn't offer a reply. Ironically enough her silence seemed to spell out her story to him.

"You panicked didn't you," Casey concluded. "Whatever cockamamie mission you were on went FUBAR on you and you couldn't salvage before you got caught so you try to fall back on training. Problem is that the Farm doesn't teach you how to adapt while under fire. Sometimes you need to hold off and gauge the situation before you act."

"Doesn't look like your own advice has done you any good jarhead."

"It looks that way, doesn't it?" Casey said before stepping to the left. Suddenly Sam realized Casey was stalling and swung her gun around to face the entrance. What happened so fast that the camera footage had to be re-watched 3 times on slo-mo just to track what went down. A can of Coke came sailing through the air and caught Sam right between the eyes staggering her. Immediately after Peyton went into a firing stance and shot the pistol right out of her hands. To Casey it was like something out of an old western. He knew some of the best marksmen out there and few could boast to have made that shot, especially so quickly.

Once the gun landed Casey reached through the bars and knocked it towards Sarah, who kicked it behind her to a surprised police officer. Sam, now unarmed, took stock of her options and found that she was down to two: surrender or end up target practice for several pissed off police officers. Seeing as how she'd gotten into the habit of living she went with option #1. Hands on her head, she laid down on her stomach to avoid giving the officers an excuse to blast a would-be cop killer. Rough hands hauled her to her feet after the manacles came back on, and her shoulder protested at the treatment.

As she was taken away, Sam turned to Sarah and spat, "Congratulations, you've just completely sabotaged a Wolf Cloth operation 5 years in the making. You're not going to get such a warm welcome back at Langley either once Davis gets word about your involvement." And like that Sam was practically dragged to a cell, solitary this time. Sarah and Peyton turned to face Chuck, who was shaking off the effects of the Flash.

"Do you have any idea what she was going on about Agent Walker," Chief Peyton asked her. Chuck's Flash would have given him the information but Sarah wasn't willing to reveal how he'd know, even though he looked like he was dying to share.

"Yes actually, but I'm afraid that I can't give that information out, at least not without the risk of exposing several ongoing operations," Sarah said. "But that doesn't mean I'm stonewalling you. I'll contact the Director and see what can be disclosed. I will say that if the agent believes that she's running a Wolf's Cloth operation she might not even be aware of what she's really carrying."

At that moment a woman in uniform came up to the group, looking almost out of breath. "Oh *huff* good, *huff* *huff* I finally found you sir. This just came in for you," she said before pressing a piece of paper into Chief Peyton's hands.

"Can this wait Sargent?"

"It came from the Department of Defense. I don't think it's something you can let sit while you go for a coffee run," she told him.

Peyton read it over from top to bottom three times before he looked up. "Officer Bradly, bring Colonel Casey to Meeting Room 2. Keep in cuffs for now but treat him with kid's gloves, "he told one of his men. "Agent Walker, I'll need you and Mr. Bartowski to join me in there two. I think you know why."

"Uh... okay," Chuck answered lamely. He exchanged looks with Sarah, who looked concerned as well but wasn't nervous. She gave his hand a quick squeeze to help keep him calm on the way over, although she was uncertain what the situation involved was.

A moment later, Team Bartowski were standing in front of a TV screen looking around nervously. "You seemed awfully quick to isolate us, " Casey said in his usual brusque manner. "If you're to kill us get over with it already."

"Funny, I never took you for the overdramatic type, " Peyton quipped. "No, I'm not going to harm a single hair on your head Colonel. We're here for something else."

The monitor flickered on and the team were presented with two people, Director Mason of the CIA and an older black man Chuck never seen before. No Flash was forthcoming so Sarah whispered to him that he was Secretary of Intelligence Irving Lambert. Chuck knew enough to know that the CIA and the NSA had to answer to this man, so this must be a big deal for him to get involved.

"Hello Agents, Police Chief Peyton and Mr. Bartowski, I've called you here for several reasons. Before we begin, I must inform you all that what we're going to discuss cannot leave this room. Will that be an issue?" Secretary Lambert asked everyone.

A round of "no sir" was heard, and Chuck offered up a "nope" in response. Peyton didn't look comfortable about the secrecy but just nodded his head.

"Very well. Let's get down to brass tacks, shall we? An hour ago, this was broadcast on several major TV channels," Lambert noted before footage began playing on the screen.

A woman looking exactly like Sarah was facing the camera dressed all in black in a dark light room. "People of the United States," Sarah's doppelganger began. "You're contempt for the other nations of the world has gone on for long enough. The days where you turn a blind eye to the carnage inflicted by the cold-hearted men and women of your Intelligence agencies are over and you will be held accountable. The following list agents are to be recalled immediately or else a 100 Megaton Nuclear Device will be detonated somewhere on American soil. You have 48 hours to convince the government to comply." Text began to scroll down the screen before the video ended.

Everyone was stunned. Sarah began to protest, "Sir, I would never, ever consider acting against our country. I can account for the majority of my movements over the last few days and I will undergo any investigations that will confirm this. "

"That won't be necessary Agent Walker, we know the video is a fake. We're not sure who the woman is but the audio seems to be compiled from what appears to be audio surveillance done on your phone," Director Mason told everyone.

"That's explains why it sounded weird when she said 'megaton'. Terribly distorted compared to the rest of the audio, " Chuck added.

"And why no group was identified as taking credit. Scum just can't help trying to fluff themselves up, " Casey commented. "This sounds like someone's prepping a red herring for when the nuke goes off. If Walker's supposed to be one of the bombers that might take heat off someone else entirely."

"If that's the case we can easily dismiss the deadline provided, " Sarah noted. "They might be trying to confuse all of the agencies into thinking that one of the high profile targets will be selected when they have something else in mind." She shrugged. "This is all supposition but we don't have much else to go on."

"Wait, you two think they're going to detonate this bomb no matter what? Damn it, there's no way I'm going to be able to evacuate everyone off the island with all of the tourist traffic we're getting, " Peyton told them.

"Evacuation is off the table anyways. We alert the public and a panic will break out, helping these terrorists out, " Mason replied.

"So I guess we're going to have to focus on finding these guys, " Chuck brought up.

Peyton shook his head. "I can't believe you're working for these men Mr. Bartowski. Have you been in on this mess from the beginning?"

"Not quiet. I've worked with the CIA as a security consultant in the past, so when they got wind that nukes were involved they asked me if I'd be up for sifting through the chatter on the Island. Sarah joined me on the island the day before so we ended up commuting," Chuck explained. _"One part lie, two parts true. The perfect recipe for lying to a cop," _ he thought to himself.

"Got to love an office romance, " Peyton noted. Mason didn't react at the news but Sarah noted that she'd probably have a face-to-face with the Director at some point, probably to determine if this was a recent development or if there was something to the 49B Beckman hit her with.

"I have the FBI looking into this right now so let move onto the next topic. Director Mason tells me that a potential leak has been discovered on your end over there. Do we have identified any suspects yet?" Lambert asked.

"I'm afraid so sir. I have irrefutable proof that Daniel Shaw has betrayed his government," Sarah began. She detailed the events from when they were captured by Shaw up to their escape, making sure leave out references to the Intersect and instead being vague about the intel he wanted. She had Chuck explain how he was able to detain Shaw non-lethally and silently beamed while he recounted his experiences. Sarah had already decided to inform the Director about what Shaw had intended for her father and that Chuck and Orion had been able to quickly orchestrate his rescue.

"That's... quite the tale there Agent Walker. Do you have any way to corroborate it?" Mason asked her.

Sarah internally seethed at the allegation that she'd fabricated the whole thing but said calmly, "You can contact Orion about my father. Plus there's the mercenaries being detained right now."

"We initially held them on weapons charges but most of them rolled on Daniel Shaw to cut down on jail time. They copped to the kidnapping and a couple of them hinted at something going down some time in the next day or so," Peyton told them. "Things seemed to be kept to 'need-to-know' so I doubt they'll know more."

Mason looked distraught to say the least. "Jesus, one of my best agents and he's been working against the agency right under my nose. Please tell me you have good news to add Walker ."

"It's a mixed bag really. The police were able to find two of the party responsible for killing Mr. Montebloom," Sarah informed him.

"Yeah, he had info about coups launched against friendly countries recently," Chuck added for Peyton's sake. The timing was too coincidental to mention his involvement with the smuggling so he left that little detail, plus it wasn't far from the truth.

"That's right, " Sarah continued. "It's speculation right now but that could have been why he was targeted to begin with. Somebody sent a team out to the Islands and apparently they were to be operating on silent. "

"One of ours? Are you sure?"

"One of them was using the Charles Carmichael identity," Sarah was all she told him, yet the implication was there. She recognized him as an Intersect host. "I've sat in on interviews with both and they claim to be acting on the authority of Deputy Director Davis. The odd thing both members had different set of instructions. Carmichael claims this was supposed to be a sting operation and his female collaborator says they were here to run a Wolf's Cloth operation."

"What?! That's ridiculous! Besides the R & D installation the Agency has no other presence on Kahni'auka, " Mason bold face lied to the others.

"I've heard the term 'Wolf's Cloth' a few times already and I think it's time that somebody filled me in on it, " Casey brought up.

"That's need to know, " Lambert answered.

"And we need to know now! How are we supposed to figure out what to do if you keep us in the dark?"

"Colonel Casey is right, " Peyton reluctantly agreed. "At the very least we should be aware if there's anything involved that could hurt the public."

Lambert gauged his response for a moment before coming to a conclusion. "Very well, but what you hear here cannot leave this room or you will be hit with treason charges faster than you can count to three. Do you have any objections Director Mason?"

"I have to be frank that sharing this information can compromise several operations if it gets out, but...the situation we face is more immediate, " Mason said. "Agent Walker, please explain to the others."

"Very well sir, I'll do my best. A Wolf's Cloth operation is simple but effective. Agents, posing as arms dealers, sell parts used to construct nuclear bombs to know terrorists. The parts are altered to be faulty and have tracking and listening devices secreted within them so we can track down terrorist cells and gather intel. "

"If that's the case could it be possible that we interrupted a legitimate operation?" Casey asked.

"Nope, the radiation levels found at that container are too high for one of those, " Chuck answered him. "I uh... had to sift through some old documents pertaining to one such op so yeah..." he lamely tried to cover.

"So you're saying the spooks could have unwittingly help deliver a real nuke, " Casey concluded. "Wonderful, just wonderful ."

"That's not the worst of it. The head of the NSA has disappeared off the face of the earth not long after the video was received. Considering the timing I have every reason to be suspicious ," Lambert told him.

Casey looked uncomfortable at the insinuated accusation. He desperately wanted to set the man straight but held back his first instinct to call him a moron. Even at his angriest he realized that calling the Secretary of Intelligence names wasn't going to help his case. A different set of tactics was called for. "Mr. Secretary, I've worked with General Beckman for years and I can tell you that she is one of the best tacticians I've ever had the pleasure of serving under. If she was dirty, and I'm sure she isn't, she would have covered her tracks a lot better than simply pulling a disappearing act."

"So you're saying that someone kidnapped a U.S. general in broad daylight," Lambert concluded. "One more problem to add to the pile. Do you have anything to add about this Director Mason?"

"Yes actually. One of my analysts actually uncovered some intel that mentions her by name, " Director Mason brought up reluctantly. "We're still following up this lead so I was hesitant to bring it up until it panned out. Though if the General is suspect than..."

The sound of a door slamming open interrupted Mason to the point that he almost jumped out of his seat. "Oh, it's you, " he said to the off-screen presence. "What are you doing..." he began before a knife struck his neck. Sarah looked on helplessly as her boss plummeted to the ground just before the picture disappeared.

A chorus of outcries occurred as soon as the screen went to blue.

"Ah frak! You guys see that?!" Chuck exploded.

"Mason! My god, the Agency's been compromised!" Sarah exclaimed.

"Sonnabitch! They did it right in front of us!" Casey practically growled.

Lambert wasn't much restrained either. "Jesus Christ! Both of our top intelligence agencies have been compromised. Chief Peyton, I'm sorry to say but I'm going to be stepping on your toes on this one. As of now Colonel Casey is to be released from custody and put right back onto this investigation. Agent Walker and Mr. Bartowski have worked with the Colonel in the past and will be included as well."

"But sir, this man has been involved in several crimes including the murder of Mr. Montebloom, " Peyton began to argue.

"I'm fully aware of the situation and the circumstances that has arisen around them, and I tell you right now that now more than ever we need experienced agents in the field more than ever. Somebody chose this time to try to cripple our eyes and ears, right when the panic is ready to break out and we need to find out why," Lambert argued.

"Very well, but they will be operating as deputies under my command. I won't have them running operations on my patch without my say so. "

"Very well. Colonel, do you have any objections?" Lambert asked.

Casey had several, but he knew when to bit his tongue. Arguing at this time would be nothing but hot air. "No sir, just as long as me and Walker aren't sitting on the sidelines."

"Good. Contact me when you have something concrete," he said before the connection was severed.

Everyone looked around uncertain of what to do next. Chuck wasn't sure either but he had an inkling of what might help. "Say chief, you mind springing Casey now? I don't think he's much for bracelets. "

"What? Oh the handcuffs. Just a moment."

Casey rubbed the feeling back into his wrists, grateful that the nerd had the decency to bring up that little matter. Casey was feeling so wound up he knew he wouldn't ask so nicely. "Guess we should work with what we got. Has your boys managed to get anything off the cell phones? I bet your latest guests aren't able to give us anymore right now."

Peyton shook his head. "I'm afraid not. My boys in IT are taking a crack at it now but they're going at a snail's pace due to the heavy duty security on them."

"Would you mind if I take a crack at it?" Chuck asked. "Don't mean to toot my own horn but I do have experience with cracking security."

"He's not kidding. Chuck managed to bypass security measures that were giving the boys at the NSA a run for their money, " Sarah chimed in. Casey gave grunt #67 (angry confirmation) in regards to Sarah's slight dig at his agency's abilities but didn't argue.

"Can't hurt. I'll get you oriented there myself to cut out the middleman, " Peyton agreed with a hint of reluctance.

Sarah's faith in Chuck wasn't misplaced and the phones were cracked right open 20 minutes later. Carmichael's phone yielded a few phone numbers to follow up on and a wealth of cat meme pictures. "Somebody must really be bored, " Sarah muttered to herself. She had a weakness for them herself but she wouldn't waste the space storing them. Sam's phone was clean except for one detail. Her calendar had "Dinner with R.A. - Benihana Sunrise" penciled in at 6:00 tonight .

"R.A. ... that must be Ryan Anderson, the man Carmichael mentioned, " Sarah said. "Looks like they found him after all. Does anyone know what and where Benihana Sunrise is located?"

"Yeah, it's the Benihana place Morgan mentioned to you over dinner. You know, the one he was training at?" Chuck informed in. "I'm sure he can get us a table if they're packed tonight."

"Hmmm... looks like we got some undercover work ahead of us," Casey concluded. "Walker, you'll pose as redhead and Bartowski as Carmichael."

"I understand Agent Walker going in there, but why Mr. Bartowski? I don't think he's been trained for this kind of work," Peyton brought up.

"He hasn't but he does work surprisingly well under fire. Metaphorically of course. In any case, the Fontaine woman seems to be in charge so I'll be the one doing the talking anyways," Sarah said. "Anderson will be expecting Carmichael to show up at least, and since Chuck bears a slight resemblance to Carmichael it should past muster."

"Alright, we got nothing else right now so we'll play it your way. However, I'll need to have a audio in there before we begin. I'm not running this operation blind," Peyton told them.

"But he's obvious going to pat us down at some point. Our usual comms would go unnoticed but the gear issued to police is much easier to pick up, " Sarah pointed out.

"I think we can manage something, " Chuck said smoothly.

Casey worked long enough with Chuck to know where he was going. "You're getting the gnome to help?" he ask incredulously.

"He knows the restaurant top to bottom, and nobody will suspect a thing. He's always up for a plan once you bribe him with enough grape soda."

"You better know what you're doing, " Peyton said before he turned to leave.

"Trust me, we've done this enough times that we could do it in our sleep, " Sarah said. "You'll be surprised how far a little faith goes. "

A/N: Reviews are welcome as always.


	28. Chapter 28

A/N: Thanks to all readers new and old for keeping up with my story, and to **garnetflint** for handling beta duties.

**Chapter 28**

"Do I look okay?" Chuck nervously asked Sarah for the third time as he glanced at the mirror sitting in Morgan's bathroom. In order to go as Charles Carmichael, Chuck had to have his hair cropped short and was wearing Charlie's too expensive clothing. For some it was no big deal to slip into another identity but to Chuck becoming Charles Carmichael again was creepy, like putting on a Halloween mask albeit without the fake blood. His idea of what Carmichael should be like had been bent and reshaped by other hands, coming back to him as an almost foreign notion. On top of that he had to pretend to be a fully trained spy. One false word and the whole thing would be shot.

"You look good Chuck, " Sarah said as she instinctively raised her hand to smooth his hair down only to find short curls that boringly stayed in place. "Although I am missing the cute animal shapes your hair usually makes. How's my wig?"

"Perfect. If I didn't see you put it on I couldn't tell it wasn't real, " Chuck told her. Sarah had opted for a wig this time, saying it was easier for her to style to match "Claire Fontaine's" style and would take less time too. Chuck thought she just wanted to avoid dying her hair and couldn't blame her for it. His junior year at Stanford he rushed with a fraternity and had to make his hair purple as part of the initiation. The damn stuff got everywhere and he looked like a bottle of grape soda exploded all over him.

"Thanks Chuck, " Sarah said before shifting into spy mode. "I just want to go over our cover one more time before we head out. Our roles for today are different than what we've done in the past when we had to pose as a couple."

_"Thank goodness the pretending part was over, "_ she thought to herself.

Sarah continued. "Carmichael and Fontaine weren't exactly seeing eye to eye these days so we're going to have to approximate that level of discomfort."

"You want me to yell at you?" Chuck asked nervously. "I don't think I can manage being angry at you, even if you took every single Nintendo game I own and smashed them to pieces, fried my computer and insulted Ellie's cooking."

"Hmm...," Sarah to herself. Slighting his sister's well loved cooking was a grave insult, so grave that even Casey would have starred her down for such an offense. "Maybe acting angry is the wrong way to go about it then. How about pretending to be uncomfortable, like you're waiting to see the dentist? Carmichael did mention he was purposely avoiding Fontaine."

"Yeah, that might work. Oh, I know! I'll try to channel the time when I had to wait in the principal's office for my dad when my science project exploded in my locker," Chuck suggested to her. "Boy, I was ready to dig myself a hole to crawl into when that happened."

"Perfect. Make sure you try to avoid eye contact with me whenever possible too. That'll really sell that we have a messy history."

"It'll be tough to keep my eyes off of you but I'll do it. For the mission of course," Chuck added with a grin. "Casey would be so proud. Plus in a way our history has been a bit, shall we say, turbulent so it wouldn't be such a stretch."

Sarah took the words with a shock at how close to home they hit. In a way Chuck was right, the early section of their history together was anything but smooth sailing at first. He was at a time when his immediate future looked bleak and she had become his only lifeline. She was a point at her life when she just didn't know what she wanted anymore, the desire to conform to the only life she knew at warred with the frustration and burnout being a spy brought her. The stress that came with the ghoulish things the job demanded from her plus her feelings of powerlessness to change the course of her life that her father, and later Graham, had put her on was weighing on her at the time. She didn't want to live like a ghost all her life, moving from place to place at someone else's whim, sucking the life out of others to sustain herself and always being apart from the world around her.

Spending time with Chuck gave her glimpses of a life she had never known, where she was more than a tool to be used and tossed aside as necessary, a person in her own right that had more to offer than her skills and her obvious assets. The fact that he was willing to learn more about her despite her vast library of sins was jarring to say the least. Everyone else had been eager to take her aloof persona at face value, even Bryce who claimed that he loved her but always had shut her down whenever things had gotten to personal. The feelings that came with this revelation were overwhelming for her and so they went to the place where the other troublesome emotions went and that was the end of that, so she thought.

Despite herself her love and hatred of the job had now seemed to incorporate Chuck. The need to protect him from everything including herself now clashed with instinct to keep the lovable nerd at arm's length, and often Chuck had paid the price. When he sought intimacy with her Sarah would throw Company policy at him about assets and when he found romance with another her jealousy reared its ugly head causing her to sabotage the relationship in its infancy. Chuck didn't know where they stood as a result no more than she knew where he was whenever he was supposed to be waiting in the car. She had inflicted the same helplessness on him that she felt and the revelation made her stomach churn.

Chuck noticed how her face fell when he uttered that lousy joke and was mortified. "Ah frak, I'm sorry Sarah. That was rotten of me. I should've..." he said before Sarah's embrace cut him off.

She held him for a moment before she managed to find the right words. "Chuck... I'm the one that should be saying sorry. For treating you so terribly then. I... admit that I've acted selfishly at times at your expense, playing with your heart when it was already so fragile and dashing your hopes by running back to the familiar when I didn't know how to handle things. God, I don't know how you can stand me sometimes."

Chuck planted a kiss on her head and smoothed her hair. He was surprised at the outburst but he supposed it was a good thing no matter what training dictated. Like his psychiatrist and Pumbaa before him said, 'better out than in'. "I'm not completely innocent either here. I didn't always listen to you about the important stuff and I didn't trust you when I should have."

"Well, your home was under surveillance 24/7 and I didn't exactly do much to put you at ease, " Sarah pointed out.

"But you always looked out for me and my family, and you went to bat for me with Graham and Beckman when it would have been sooooo much easier to let me just toss me in a deep, dank hole somewhere. I let my faith in you waver at times, and that's pretty rotten too don't you think?" Chuck told her. Sarah couldn't bring herself to answer but her tightened grip on him said it all. "In the end though, I don't want to be mad at you and you don't want to be mad at me so here's what I suggest. I suggest that we forgive each other, keep the jerk-esque moments to a minimum from now on and forgive each other when they do come up."

"Just like that?"

"Why not? It's not like there's a exact guideline for being in a relationship and I can tell you firsthand that carrying a grudge is one of the most grueling things you can ever do. So what do you say?"

Sarah mulled it over in her mind. It sounded so simple when Chuck said it but in her experience things weren't always so simple when it came to people. Her mind, so honed to looking for ulterior motives, reeled at the possibility that for once someone was asking for something that was mutually beneficial to both parties. No strings attached as they say. _ "You don't have to over think everything sweetie_," a voice so much like her mother's spoke in her mind. _"Sometimes a cloud looks like a duck because it wants to." _ It was something her mother told her one day while watching the clouds and Sarah had puzzled over the meaning behind a cloud's mysterious appearance.

Sarah chuckled at the unexpected memory and found herself in better spirits. "I say it's one of your best ideas yet, " she said as she nuzzled his mini-curls. "Thank you for sticking with an over paranoid spy like me. You don't know how much it means to me."

"Thank you for wanting to be with a biggest nerd on this side of the Pacific."

"Hey, you know I don't things half measure. Nothing for the best for this girl," Sarah joked before detangling herself from Chuck. "Now, we better get going before Casey gets antsy."

As if on cue the bathroom door resounded with Casey's strong knocks ("more like punches," Chuck joked) and he bellowed, "You ladies done in there? There's work to be done!"

"Just finished putting on my mascara. Sorry, Sarah took forever trying to find the right shade of rouge that suits me, " Chuck called out.

"What?! Your cover doesn't involve makeup!" Casey shouted before yanking the door open.

A flustered Casey poked his head in to see Chuck, sans makeup, all ready to go.

"Sometimes you make just too easy," Chuck chuckled.

Sarah laughed and added, " You got to admit, he got you going for a moment, "

Casey let out grunt #68 (not very amused) and said, "Okay wiseguy, how's this for a joke? Knock, knock."

"Who' s there?" Chuck replied.

"The guy that's going to make you ride on the roof if you don't quit playing grab ass. Now hurry up so we can get to the staging area!" he said before returning to the kitchen. "Damn that's good coffee!" he shouted happily, and Chuck and Sarah couldn't help but take in the rare " happy and not firing 1,000 rounds a second" Casey.

"Whoa, that is some magical coffee beans Morgan discovered, " Chuck said in amusement. "I wonder where he picked them up."

"Uh... he traded a cow for them?" Sarah joked. She wasn't versed in pop culture as well as his friends but damn it, she wanted to be topical too, even if it was fairy tales she referenced.

"Knowing Morgan I wouldn't be surprised if that was the case," Chuck bantered back. "After you m'lady."

A/N: Yeah, I don't know where the Lion King reference came from. Dang thing just popped in my head. Also, I felt like making this a short chapter since this felt better on its own. I have an idea about the following chapter already and I think it's best if this stood on its own instead of being squeezed alongside the action.


	29. Chapter 29

A/N: Thanks to **garnetflint** for doing beta-reader duty this chapter and to all of my readers. I wouldn't be at chapter 29 if it wasn't for all. :-)

**Chapter 29**

Chuck sat in the bustling restaurant trying to keep the butterflies in his stomach at bay. He kept trying to tell himself that this was just another op but considering the fact that his last undercover effort was more than a year ago it didn't seem to make a bit of difference. It helped that Sarah was with him but his girlfriend couldn't do anything to help sooth his nerves without violating their cover as antagonistic ex-lovers so he opted to scan the other patrons.

He spotted Casey earlier sporting a more subdued blue polo shirt but purposely avoided looking in his direction to avoid drawing attention to himself. He had more trouble spotting the undercover police officer Chief Peyton had planted among the other patrons since the tourist season attracted a wide spectrum of visitors. The only indication was the odd Flash or two he received but thankfully the Intersect held glowing reviews instead of suspicions for the men and women Peyton handpicked for this assignment.

Eventually he settled on the man in front of him, his bestest best friend in the world Morgan Grimes. He wasn't comfortable having his buddy in on this operation but they needed someone nearby that could carry the audio recording device without attraction suspicion. An undercover cop was originally supposed to be sitting beside them but Morgan's sensei in Benihana cooking had asked him to come in tonight as a sort of final exam for his training and had practically dropped the opportunity right in their lap. Nobody would suspect a chief, and since he was one of Mifune-san's trainees neither the staff or one of Anderson's lookouts would notice anything was amiss.

Since they had a few minutes to kill, Chuck took the chance to watch Morgan's performance. In his eyes cooking was on par with alchemy, a mystifying art too difficult for him to grasp, but seeing the way Morgan worked, it looked as easy as flipping a switch. He diced and flipped the food so quickly that Chuck could hardly track his movements. Chuck was surprised that his buddy was so nervous about going through with tonight considering how effortlessly he appeared to prepare the meals but Morgan did have a habit of blowing things out of proportion. For once it wasn't Chuck that helped put his mind at ease. No, the help had come from an unexpected source.

Back when everyone was preparing for tonight's operation, Morgan was getting cold feet about his role. "What if I screw up again Chuck?" Morgan asked him nervously. "Sensei will pull me from my station if things go all kablooey and everyone will be in the dark. I couldn't live with myself if you or Sarah got hurt."

"Morgan, it's not that bad. Casey will be nearby if things get dicey and Sarah's pretty handy with a knife," Chuck said confidently.

"Yeah, but what if there's a whole slew of baddies waiting to rush in? You'll get creamed!" Morgan exclaimed. His outburst, normally not very quiet to begin with, got several people's attention including one Colonel John Casey. For a moment Chuck was worried that he was going to chew him out but instead Casey hunkered down beside them.

"Getting cold feet?" Casey asked him.

"Yeah, " Morgan admitted reluctantly. It wasn't any secret the older man intimidated him immensely, especially since the he just radiated the kind of machismo that eluded Morgan. "Yeah, I don't want to screw this up."

Casey mulled over this for a moment. "I've seen this before with new recruits just before we put boots to the grounds, " he told Chuck. "Grimes, Bartowski told me you've been training hard for this right?" Morgan nodded and he continued, "Here's what you do. Stop the prophesising and try to compartmentalize your worries. It's tricky at first but it gets easier over time. For now focus on something else that doesn't require much brain power, like the smells of your ingredients or the music in the background. By now your body knows what needs to be done so now you need to get out of its way. Trust in your training and there's a good chance we'll win the day."

And without another word he stood back up and went back to checking his gear over. Chuck was touched that Casey was willing to give his pep talk to Morgan, maybe showing a soft spot he never knew existed or just getting an asset up and running. No matter the reason the pragmatic talk seemed to do Morgan a world of good and the nervousness seemed to fade into the background.

Chuck thoughts returned to the present as Morgan brought the shrimp out. This was it, his trial by fire. Unlike beef or pork, shrimp was weighted differently according to Morgan which was why he had difficulty sticking the landing with it. When it came time to launch the crustacean airborne Chuck practically held his breath. For a moment it seemed to hang mid-air suspended above the world below it before tumbling down earthbound and Chuck wasn't sure Morgan would catch it in time. Then, a flash of silver cut the air and there was Morgan balancing the meat all so carefully before casually flipping it back onto the grill. He joked about catching a fly ball, carefree as can be, but to Chuck he was practically sweating bullets. He wished he could have high-five him there and then but duty called. Chuck settled for catching his eye and nodding to him, which Morgan returned with a grin of his own.

Sarah nudged Chuck lightly and he turned to face the man they were waiting for, the infamous Ryan Anderson. It was odd that he used Bryce's old alias but from the look of things he definitely wasn't even trying to emulate his old roommate's style. The man, somewhere in his 30's or 40's, aiming for anonymity in contrast with Bryce's vain need for attention, showed up wearing shorts and a polo like any native would be. Chuck couldn't see any of the tell-tale bulges of a gun around his waist but that didn't mean the man wasn't dangerous. Considering the nature of the meeting his was awfully cheerful and in Chuck's experience nobody was that cheerful unless they felt they held the advantage.

"Ah, Mr. Carmichael, Ms. Fontaine, do forgive me for running a few minutes late. I made the mistake of taking the highway today and it took forever to reach an exit. I hope that the wait wasn't too long," Anderson said nonchalantly. His accent sounded British but neither Chuck nor Sarah could tell from what region.

"Not at all, we just got here a few minutes ago so neither of us hardly noticed, although for some of us obliviousness seems to come more naturally, " Sarah said pointedly as she cast a glance at Chuck. Woof, that was cold. Sometimes it was spooky how well she got into a role. If they didn't prepare for this earlier that barb might have actually hurt.

Chuck shrugged "Everyone's a critic, especially when their expectations are so unrealistically high they count as science fiction. Have you eaten yet Mr. Anderson?"

"Not yet, I heard this place was one of the best for Benihana on the island and it's been ages since I've enjoyed good Teppanyaki," he said jovially. "Let's order before we talk business. I find that I get too distracted by all of the wonderful food options to focus on matters at hand."

The whole meal Chuck and Sarah did their best to bring the conversation to the matter of the "package" but Anderson kept sidetracking with other projects that might be of interest. Nothing incriminating was mentioned though, and he didn't seem to be in a hurry to talk about the nuclear device. Sarah was beginning to worry when the food arrived and Anderson seemed to perk up.

"Ah, smell that delicious bounty in front of us. Doesn't it just get your mouth watering?" Anderson asked them. Without waiting for an answer, he grabbed his chopsticks and dug right in. "Oh, please send my thanks to Alfred for delivering the wares. I understand that some complications arose and he had to go out of his way to drop it off at one of my other sites. "

"My pleasure, though I'm afraid that a new development had come up," Sarah informed him. "My... compatriot," she said putting some vitriol on the last word, "tells me that there might be an issue with the device."

Chuck exclaimed, "It was a common mistake with this kind of work! If you didn't rush the assembly we could have ironed out the kinks and we wouldn't have this problem."

"Keep it down you buffoon!" she hissed at him, although internally she was cringing. Chuck was doing marvellously so far and didn't deserve the dressing down. For the umpteenth time she wondered just had happened to make the agent she was standing in for so passive-aggressive with Carmichael #2. "Yes there is a problem but we also can fix it easily. Just bring it to a neutral location and we can resolve the issue quickly."

Anderson looked like he was considering the request for a moment before turning to the two. "I think I'm satisfied with the product as-is. I thank you for your concern, you never get that much customer service in our field after all, but I must pass."

"Are you sure? You don't want a malfunction when the time comes to turn it on," Sarah said professionally. "We both know that it can cause the user great personal injury if just one component is misaligned.'

Anderson smiled at her interject. "My, you seem to be very eager to get to my package, desperately so. Have my men been that thorough that you've had to resort to this Agent Walker?"

At the mention of her name Sarah tensed up. Few would have been able to point it out but Chuck knew her well enough to spot the way her eye blinked slightly more quickly when something went awry.

"You two might as well dig in. This is your last meal after all. My organization have an agenda to stick to and I'm afraid that your plans to continue living just runs counter to it. Dead people just are easier to deal with than living, just easier to use and involve less maintenance. Oh do cheer up Mr. Bartowski, or do you prefer Chuck?" he asked politely.

Chuck felt the pit of his stomach just fall right out of himself. Damn it, even after all of the prep work to make himself very un-Chuck-like, he recognized him! "_Curse you Wired magazine!"_ he thought to himself.

"My friends call me Chuck. The only person to call me Mr. Bartowski was my third grade teacher. You're neither," he sneered with more anger than he anticipated.

"Temper temper. I guess I should stick to calling you Mr. Carmichael then if that makes you feel more comfortable," Anderson said playfully as Sarah's blood went cold. Did he knew Chuck was originally Carmichael or was it simply due to convenience? "And don't fret, I'm not one to let a few ruffled feathers get in the way of business, very much unlike our mutual acquaintance Daniel. The end will be quick and painless, so there's no need to panic. Most in your field would certainly wish they had such a luxury when their time comes."

By now Morgan had noticed Chuck getting angry, a rare sight for those that knew him best. Something was wrong but for the life of him he didn't know what to do. Should he call for help, keep quiet, what? He was considering his options when he felt a tug at his apron, prompting him to spin around to see who the mystery party was. For a moment he was expecting a big goon telling him the jig was up but much to his shock it was his sensei. Chuck noticed too, heck his nerves were so tense now that he noticed everything. Morgan's teacher was younger than he expected, just at the cusp of middle age, was slightly shorter than your average American (which put Morgan at about eye level with him) and exuded a friendly demeanor.

"Sensei Mifune! This is a surprise, I thought you'd be busy tonight what with the place being packed and all. Is everything okay? You're not here to tell me someone got sick are ?" Morgan asked with a hint of panic in his voice.

"Oh nothing of the sort Morgan. I've just been keeping tabs on your performance and I have to say you're doing marvellously. Don't you folks think so?" Mifune asked Chuck and party.

"My compliments to the chef. Best meal I've had in a long time, though I'm surprised to see such a fresh face with such skill. Tell me, have you been working long for this restaurant?" Anderson asked with sincerity.

"Not long actually, but with the best teacher around here Benihana comes to me as naturally as breathing," Morgan beamed.

"So does flattery it seem. Glad to hear you've been paying attention out of the kitchen as well as in Morgan, " Mifune said smiling. Turning to Anderson he asked, "Tell me, what's a world class traveller like yourself doing in the middle of tourist season? From my experience the old hands like to avoid the busy season like the plague."

"Well, business mainly. I was just in the middle of a business meeting here with my two colleagues Charlie and Sam discussing the importing of jerseys. You see World Cup is coming up in a few months and..." Anderson went on, happy to chat with the locals while Chuck and Sarah simmered. Something about his confidence made Sarah stay her hand. Danger could very well be amongst the patrons here and she was having difficulty sifting the civvies from the hostiles.

Meanwhile Morgan was trying his best to look cool and confident but inwardly dread started to seep in. The fact that he was sitting with Chuck and Sarah meant that this was the guy they were looking for and something he said must have made his bud upset. A happy bad guy plus an upset Chuck equalled a bad situation according to his math and he wasn't happy with the equation. Since the dude was occupied thanks to his sensei, Morgan looked around for Casey and found him at a nearby table. The Colonel must have been clairvoyant since he took the opportunity to turn around and lock eyes with Morgan. Morgan mouthed to him, "There's something strange in the neighborhood," like he was briefed to do if the target was in earshot and Casey got the message. Without saying a word he stood up and slipped out the back.

When Morgan turned back, he nodded to Chuck and his buddy started to relax. Casey was on the case and hardly anyone got the drop on him ("Unless they're in a skirt," Chuck reminded himself). He gently ran a finger down Sarah's leg, telling her they need to stretch for time, and she gave his leg a light squeeze to confirm. For now all they could do was buy Casey more time.

"I am worried about the quality of the product, " Sarah added to the conversation. "The manufacturer you're using has a terrible reputation for cutting corners and using cheaper materials."

"Don't forget that they don't have anything resembling Quality Assurance. With our luck they'll unravel in a week and our customers will have nothing but second rate rags, " Chuck chimed in. "Unhappy customers means no repeat business and terrible word of mouth. Considering how bruised our reputation is right now it might be best not to be unleash a lousy product on unsuspecting customers."

"You worry too much Charlie, and let me remind you that we are working with a smaller budget than in the past. No need to go the extra mile when people are only interested in the brand name and nothing else. Most wouldn't even notice the difference and for those that do it'll be far too late to do anything. No return policy you see," Anderson pointed out with a smile. If Chuck didn't know better this guy could have passed as a genuine corporate slime ball.

Mifune grimaced. "That's... not something I would be comfortable doing sir," he said tactfully. Chuck had the feeling he wanted to say something about it being unethical but his politeness stopped him. "I've always believed that success means offering nothing but perfection to your customers. Anything less would be an insult to yourself and those whom you serve."

"But I'm sure that our friend here would argue that the money saved would help ease his conscience, " Sarah said. "Some of us like to think of the bottom line after all. Considering the cost of the materials and how much it costs simply getting it onto store shelves saving a dollar or two here or there helps the company stay afloat."

Chuck scoffed as he override his instinct to avoid conflict. "More like it helps pay for the CEO's gold plated toilet. Most of the time these savings end up going into the big wig's pocket instead of the company's accounts and nobody else doesn't even see a single cent. Sometimes they even cut benefits to cover up the fact that they're stealing from the company and costing them more in the long run. Not to mention..."

"I'm sorry Charlie, it's an important discussion but I'm afraid that's not your decision to make in the end, " Anderson interrupted him. "Sam, I can guarantee that the product will pass muster initially so you needn't worry anymore. If there's no further questions I suggest we settle our tab and be on our way. The paperwork isn't going to sign itself after all."

"But..." Chuck began but something cold was jammed into his side. The patron on the other side of him had a pistol aimed right at his guts. Anderson was cutting things short. Chuck stiffened and Sarah noticed his reaction immediately. In a flash she slide the knife hid up her sleeve into her waiting hand and set upon the goon holding Chuck at gunpoint. With years of experience on her side Sarah drove the knife into a pressure point in the gunman's arm causing him to drop the weapon while her left hand delivered a devastating palm strike to his nose. Chuck moved out of the way to give Sarah a clear shot at Anderson but to his surprise Anderson wasn't even bothered in the slightest. Just as Sarah was about to toss her weapon at their target Anderson produced a pistol in the blink of an eye and fired a shot just barely a millimeter past her ear. Holy crap this guy was fast!

"A nice attempt but this isn't my first rodeo Agent Walker. Drop the knife and I promise there won't be any collateral damage, " Anderson said matter of fact.

"Collateral damage? Did you have the restaurant wired to blow this whole time?!" Sarah yelled in disbelief. Who could be so reckless as to put themselves at risk like that?

"I did, but that wasn't what I was referring to."

To Sarah's right Mifune let out a cry of surprise as several of the patrons leveled guns at her and Chuck. They were packing MAC-10s, inaccurate at a distance but deadly up close and not too difficult to conceal. These guys let loose in here with them and it'll be a bloodbath. She was considering her options when several of the other customers spun around with pistols in their hands, this time pointed at Anderson's men. "Police, drop your weapons!"

Nobody moved an inch, nobody but Anderson. "Oh Agent Walker, would you be a dear and inform your little helpers that they're currently standing on 100 pounds of SEMTEX? I'd tell them myself but I'm afraid law enforcement types doesn't seem to listen to me. I just got one of those dishonest faces you see," he said jovially.

"You're bluffing. Nobody would be willing to walk right into their own kill zone," Sarah snapped at him.

"You'd be surprised. I much enjoy putting my opponents in a lose-lose situation. Say, have you ever watched _Star Trek_? I'm sure Mr. Carmichael has. You see, there's this one hypothetical situation on the show called the Koyobashi Maru where one ship is in grave danger and another goes in to rescue it. The problem is that both ships will be destroyed before everyone can be rescued so the captain has to make a hard choice: either choose to leave behind half of the survivors in order to avoid destruction or stay and risk letting everyone die."

"But that's caused because the two sides were at war. You're the one deciding to put these people at risk for no reason!" Chuck spoke up.

"The cause is irrelevant. The point is that you can't avoid taking a lose here, so you have to decide how badly you want this to go. So here's what I suggest to the nice policemen: let my cohorts and myself walk out the door with Mr. Carmichael and Agent Walker in tow or you can let everyone here die. The choice is yours but you must choose quickly." As Anderson finished issuing the ultimatum he plucked a bottle of beer off the adjacent table and finished it off. "Ah, nothing like a warm beer to wash Teppanyaki down. A shame neither of you had much of an appetite," he said as he leveled his gun at Sarah.

Out of the corner of his eye Chuck spotted Casey in the back, completely out of everyone's eyesight, and the older man gestured to him. If memory served him that one meant _Explosives Neutralized, _meaning Anderson's threat no longer had any teeth. "Wow, it wasn't a waste of time teaching me all of those hand signals after all, " Chuck thought to himself. Chuck thumped his leg twice for confirmation before Casey continued. He put his hand over his eyes for a moment and then raised his index finger to the ceiling before disappearing out the back. _Blackout coming in one minute, get ready._

Chuck's attention shot back to the situation where everyone was still in a Mexican Standoff. Everyone save Morgan, who was still dutifully manning his station (or was rooted to the spot in fear, he couldn't tell). He nodded at Morgan and said to Anderson, "Boy, talk about your eyesores. I really hope you pointing a gun at my girlfriend isn't something you're going to make a habit of Ryan. "

"If it makes you feel better I'll have the gunman line you up back to back when the time comes to shoot you in the head, " Anderson replied unwaveringly. "That way nobody else sticks a piece in her lovely face again."

"It's sweet that you're worried Chuck but I don't think you're going to get much more hospitality out of this guy, " Sarah added. Bantering wasn't her usual style but she had the feeling the absent Casey had something up his sleeve.

"Well, when you're right you're right, " Chuck said sadly. "I got to say that this was probably the third worst vacation simply because of the amount of guys threatening to kill me but at least I got to spend part of it with you." He looked to Anderson. "Can I at least give Sarah one more kiss before you drag us off?"

"Normally I'd say no but I am a romantic at heart. Just keep your hands on your head the whole time or I will get twitchy, " Anderson told them. Sarah, confused with Chuck's request, decided to go along with it. He was acting uncharacteristically pessimistic right now, perhaps telling her something, but for the life of her she couldn't tell what. Although awkward, Chuck leaned in to kiss her, savoring the softness of her lips, the warmth of her breath and even the lousy aftertaste the lunchtime quesadilla left in her mouth. Chuck nuzzled her cheek for a moment, whispered to her, "Blackout coming, hit the deck on my cue," before stepping away.

"Oh, one more thing Mr. Anderson, " Chuck said as he drew out each syllable of his name as slowly as possible. "The Koyobashi Maru wasn't unsolvable after all. All you need to do is just think outside the box. Now!"

With such accuracy that Sarah didn't think possible of the former Buy-Morian, Morgan flicked a searing hot shrimp right into Anderson's eye, causing him to recoil in pain. Moments later the lights in the restaurant blinked out leaving everyone in complete darkness. Gunfire rang out for a moment before it stopped suddenly. "Stop you idiot, you'll hit one of us!" an angry voice shouted at the reckless gunmen but it was already too late. Panic had set in, causing police, mercenaries and innocent bystanders to get swept up in the bedlam that ensued. Fighting had broken out but Chuck managed to miss most of it thanks to his hiding spot under a nearby table. He was waiting for his chance to move when a warm feminine hand grasped his and pulled him up .

"Come on, Anderson's getting away!" Sarah told him as she practically dragged him out of the restaurant as she ducked and weaved through the warring bodies with practiced grace. If Chuck didn't know any better he'd say night vision must be one of her super powers (which included being able to effortlessly leave him breathless and finding rogue car keys). The two stumbled into the night air as an all black Crown Victoria pulled up right in front of them. An oddly serene Casey rolled the window down and waved them inside. Either it was the hint of violence in the air, being able to ride in his favorite car model or both, but the Colonel was in a rare good mood.

"Peyton lent me one of his undercover rides. He might be a hard ass but at least he got decent taste in cars," Casey said as he pulled one of those flashing police lights out and put the pedal to the metal. "Didn't hurt that since we're technically working for the cops we can use one of these to get the civvies out of the way."

"Careful Casey, you almost sound like you're praising the KPD, " Sarah teased him. "You radio Chief Peyton yet?"

"First thing I did. A chopper would be a big help tracking the mark plus I wouldn't mind if they put down a few tire spike strips to slow him down. " Casey jerked a thumb at the glove box. "Got you a cop 9 mil since you couldn't hide a piece in that dress. They still haven't switched over to the 40 cal yet so it was the best I could scrounge on such short notice."

"Thoughtful as always big guy, " Chuck joked with him. "So, what's the plan?"

"Nothing fancy. We disable the vehicle and take Anderson alive. I'll drive, Walker you go for the tires when you have a shot and Bartowski you keep in contact with the cops," Casey said as he tossed the radio receiver back to Chuck. Like Walker had noted to him in the past, Bartowski was sure to get up to mischief if left to his own devices. Better to keep him occupied until they needed his brain or his technical savvy.

"Alright, " Chuck replied as he caught the receiver. "I'll start with our location." Speaking into the radio Chuck said, "The perp (always wanted to say that) is going east on... Waikoloa Road and is driving a White Bronco. I'm not kidding, he's in an old White Bronco going east."

The radio buzzed to life, "Roger that 10-90, White Bronco heading east. Hope this goes better for us than the L.A. boys the last time they chased one down. Aerial support is on its way."

Sarah had finished checking the pistol's clip and gave Chuck a thumbs up. "Music to my ears Chuck. Good call on catching the street signs by the way. Keep your eyes open so you can update dispatch."

"Roger that, " Chuck grinned.

"Casey, can you get alongside the vehicle?"

Casey dodged and weaved through the heavy traffic, avoiding the cars too slow or stubborn to move out of the way for the speeding police car. "Shouldn't be a problem once we get further out of town. No way that ugly hunk of metal is outrunning this beauty, " Casey said with glee. Yup, he was in his happy place now.

Anderson apparently anticipated the move and constantly tried to keep the traffic between his car and Crown Vic. As the two moved further away from the festivities the amount of cars lessened until Sarah could get a clear shot. However he wasn't alone in the Bronco as a henchman leaned out of the passenger window to spray automatic gunfire their direction. The goon chose spray-and-pray over aiming his weapon when firing so most of the shots went wide yet doing the job of keeping Casey further away.

"Damn it! Can't get a clear shot!" Sarah growled.

"Too bad I didn't have time to bring Stella with me. She'd make short work out of that piece of crap," Casey grumbled.

"Is that your heavy machinegun?" Chuck asked from behind his seat.

"No, that's Stacey. Stella's my auto shotgun. Load her up with slugs and nothing short of a tank would be still standing once she's done."

Casey was considering his options when a spotlight appeared over the Bronco. The KPD chopper finally arrived and not a moment too soon. A voice boomed from the speakers. "This is the KPD. Drop your weapon and pull over or else we will be forced to open fire."

Obviously Anderson wasn't pleased to hear this and his crony shifted his gunfire to the helicopter to force it down. "The cops gave us opening! Get ready Walker!" Casey bellowed as he stomped on the gas.

Wordlessly Sarah smashed open the bullet ridden window and sighted on the Bronco. She drew her breath in just before letting out three shots that all scored home. One of the rear tires shredded from the impact causing the vehicle to swerve out of control. The gunman fell out of his perch giving the concrete a wet kiss as the SUV rolled over twice before coming to a stop. The police chopper circled the capsized Bronco keeping the spotlight focused on it as the team drove up.

Casey pulled up away from Anderson's vehicle and pulled a shotgun from the overhead rack. "If Anderson is alive we're going in to apprehend him. If he tries anything cute taser him Walker," he said as he thrust the air taser into her arms. "Bartowski, stay with the car and keep KPD in the loop."

"Really, you're making me stay in the car now?" Chuck asked skeptically.

"Chuck, there's still a bomb out there. We need to leave ASAP once we get Anderson to talk and I'd prefer not leaving the car idling unattended if I can help it, " Sarah informed him. In actuality she was planning on having the cops secure the bomb site anyways since they had bomb disposal units on hand but at least it kept Chuck occupied. Now was not the time for him to be helpful.

"Oh, I... sure. I'll keep the motor running. I'm definitely not hiding in here," Chuck said to convince himself.

"Atta boy. While you're at it check on Morgan. With everything that's happened we didn't get a chance to check on him."

"Or say thanks for saving your cute 'lil keister. Man, you got to admit that was an awesome shot, " Chuck practically beamed.

"Indeed it was, " Sarah said as she gave him a quick peck on the lips. "See you soon."

"Try not to get shot!" Chuck called to them as they left the car.

Casey shook his head. "Ugh, tell me you're not always going to be that nauseating," he grumbled as he racked a round into his gun.

"We're not that bad, are we 'sugar bear'? " Sarah said after reloading her weapon. Without a holster on hand she'd dumped the extra magazines into her purse and slung it over her shoulder. Not exactly standard issue but it did the job.

The two approached the overturned vehicle cautiously, thankful that the police chopper was there to illuminate the area. The moon was waning tonight so visibility was low. Not ideal for an ambush but it could mean the difference between spotting a hostile before or after he's taken the shot.

They were a few feet away from the Bronco when machine gun tore the ground up in front of them. Sarah and Casey managed to find cover near some palm trees but were pinned down by the newcomers. A trio on dirt bikes had pulled up and one of the drivers was pulling Anderson from the wreckage.

"Shit, the chopper must have covered the engine sounds, " Casey cursed as he let out a couple of rounds. The police chopper's door open that moment as the onboard sniper fired back at the Anderson's cavalry. He managed to hit one of the drivers before the chopper pulled back. Sarah wondered why when an explosion erupted close to the helicopter.

"Damn it, Anderson must have stowed a damn LAW in the backseat," Sarah growled as she snapped off a few shots of her own. The helicopter missed the worst of it but the rear rotors were damaged, forcing them to land. Anderson pulled out the biggest magnum Sarah ever seen and fired one round at them before grabbing the felled driver's bike and speeding off. Wordlessly the two retreated back to the Crown Vic to give chase but the car was off so some reason. Chuck jogged to them with a flashlight in hand and a worried look on his face.

"Hey guys, got bad news. The car's dead. Something heavy hit the front and the motor wouldn't turn over," he said mournfully.

"Let me see," Casey said as he took the flashlight from Chuck. He looked the front over and spotted a big hole in the hood. "Hell, he took out the engine."

"With one shot? How is that possible?" Sarah asked skeptically.

"One shot's all you need. That was a Smith and Wesson Model 500 he was packing. Damn thing's a monster that could drop an elephant from over 200 feet. Must shoot often with it to land that shot and not kill himself with the recoil, " Casey said offhand as he moved to the passenger side. "Radio still working?"

"Yeah, I used it when I saw the helicopter got hit. Still can't believe he brought a rocket launcher to a meeting, " Chuck remarked as he joined Casey.

"Dispatch, can you read me?" Casey spoke into the radio. The voice that replied definitely wasn't the dispatcher.

"So sorry to have missed you Colonel Casey. I was just on my way out when I ran into you but as you can see I'm a busy man," came Anderson's voice. From the sound he was talking over a walkie-talkie, and somehow he knew what frequency the police were using.

"Too bad you couldn't stick around so we could compare guns. Didn't come prepared with my best but I'm sure you wouldn't notice the difference after I put two or three rounds into you," Casey replied in kind.

"Careful Colonel. I'm quite a shot with Winona and I'm sure you wouldn't like me to demonstrate her strength on you, " Anderson shot back. "Good luck finding the bomb by the way. Like most hard to find things it's always in the last place you think to look."

"Anderson, wait!" Sarah called into the receiver but only the dispatcher was left to listen. "What was that about? Why bother taunting now?"

"Maybe he's just trying to ruffle our feathers," Chuck suggested.

"Or he has something else on the move and he's hoping the bomb location would keep us running circles," Casey added. "Hate to say this but this op is a bust. Bartowski, have you heard anything from Wu yet about the contents of the thumb drive you pulled off Shaw?"

"Not yet. It's password encrypted and she's brute forcing it. Since we don't have time to whip up a rainbow table it's the best we can do," Chuck said wistfully. "Thankfully we got my dad's old prototype on hand so there's a lot of computing power at our disposal."

"No kidding," Sarah commented. Even an old Orion laptop was always a step up from anything on the market. Only a sever farm could match it for raw processor power. "So we'll have focus on where we haven't eliminated yet. The KPD has swept most of the old abandoned warehouses on the island but there are still many candidates on the list."

"It has to be isolated too since nobody has spotted anything yet. Something that big would have been spotted by one of the cops' snitches by now," Casey added.

Chuck thought about it too. Was there someplace they overlooked? Some where they dismissed off hand that should have been looked at closer? Suddenly it came to Chuck. "Guys, did anyone search the container where Shaw found the Geiger Counter?"

A/N: Once again Ben Browden reprises his role as Ryan Anderson. And yes, I made a OJ Simpson car chase reference. Blame South Park.

Reviews are always welcome.


	30. Chapter 30

A/N: Sorry guys for not updating sooner. I started a new job recently and it's been keeping me busy. Don't worry though, the updates will continue to come just not as quickly as I'd like. Thanks and applause goes to **garnetflint** for taking the time to do beta duty.

**Chapter 30**

Team Bartowski stood in the container, each of them prepared with flashlights. Sarah had ditched her wig in the car along with Chuck's borrowed jacket letting her blond hair hang free. She was complaining about the heat but Chuck knew she was just happy not to be a redhead anymore. He'd never ask why, but thought it was most likely related to her time spent deep cover with Shaw. Even before his betrayal Chuck had the feeling that working with the now disgraced "Special Agent" was probably the most trying experience she'd had as a spy. If Chuck were in her shoes he'd definitely want all reminders of the operation kept at least 100 feet away from him.

The cop they managed to get a ride with stood by the container's entrance making sure the scene wouldn't be disturbed and Chuck was grateful to have the man watching their back. Heck, they were lucky Chief Peyton was able to spare an officer with the panic the video with the fake Sarah caused. If order was to be regained the nuke needed to be rounded up, and Sarah was just able to convince him that gaining access to the container could do just that. Peyton agreed but he insisted on having a uniform stand guard just in case Anderson or his cronies decided to double back. So far they weren't so lucky and the operative with the unknown affiliation was still at large.

"Hope we strike gold here," Casey grumbled. "The secret compartment was a bust and I hate wasting time."

"The compartment is probably a red herring put in to lure everyone's attention. The police report mentioned that they only did a preliminary search of the whole container, " Sarah reminded him.

"Makes sense. Best way to hide is to do it in plain sight, right?" Chuck brought up.

"Don't remind me, " Casey said in his usually "cheerful" way. "I still can't believe he set up that ambush on such short notice. Even with a mole in the agency he'd be hard pressed to set things in motion in that timeframe. The amount of Semtex you lovebirds were sitting on was enough to put the whole restaurant into orbit and that's not something you can get from the corner store."

Sarah was tapping the walls, putting an ear to it after each blow.

"Trying to hear the ocean?" Chuck joked with her.

"Trying to find another hidden compartment. I'm not taking any chances especially if Shaw tried to put us off the scent," Sarah told him. After being blindsided by the renegade agent she vowed never to underestimate him again.

"That's ridiculous Walker!" Casey snapped as he stamped on the ground making a dull thud. "You're grasping at straws now. I hate to say it but its back to the drawing board." Sarah apparently didn't hear him. She was so wrapped up in her task that it only fueled Casey's mounting frustration. He came closer to her and growled, "Damn it Walker, pay attention!" and brought his foot down again to get her attention. This time however the sound that came back was sharper, like it was hollow underneath.

"Casey, do that again!" Chuck shouted in excitement.

"Yell at your girlfriend?" he asked in bewilderment.

"What? No, stamp down. Where did that come from?" Casey complied and the sharper sound came up.

"Sarah, Casey found the other hidden compartment!" Chuck exclaimed. "It's right underneath us!"

Sarah jerked her head up, "He did? Good work Casey! You're definitely getting those Havana cigars for Christmas this year!" She dashed over to the Colonel's location and started feeling around the jersey littered floor. "Brilliant! This ship must be hollowed out to hide the bomb. I can feel... Aha! A hidden door. Casey, Chuck you two mind giving me a hand?"

"Oh, you'll only listen to the nerd now, huh Walker?" Casey muttered to himself without any real bitterness. After a moment they found a latch and the three of them worked together to lift the heavy hatch. As soon as it opened a gust of hot air escaped the room and the stench of what smelled to Chuck like 100 year old garbage (or Jeff's unwashed "drinking pants") hit them all at once. A set of stairs lay before them, beckoning for the team to descend it.

Casey unsnapped his gun holster and waved Chuck over. "We're going to secure the site first before we bring the cops in. Bartowski takes the rear and I'll take point."

"Are you sure it's a good idea to go in without the cops backing us up?" Sarah asked. "There could be a whole army down there and we aren't exactly equipped for a full assault."

"I'm taking a calculated risk here. The cops are stretched thin as it is and we're going to need decisive evidence that we're not blowing smoke up their collective skirts before they're going to bring in a whole team. "

"But why wouldn't they believe us?" Chuck asked bewildered. "I mean we found another secret passage way and it's much cleaner than the rest of the boat. If that doesn't scream suspicious then nothing does!"

"It's not about suspicion, it's about priority. You might not realize it but the civvies are going nuts out there. They're flooding the cops with false leads, and panic is setting in. There's no telling when the false accusations are going to escalate into fights, and that's going to definitely lead to riots with all of the different nationalities playing tourist around here," Casey told him. "Peyton can't free anyone up until we're certain this is the bomb's location and not some wild goose chase."

"Okay, but I'm going on record saying that I have a bad feeling about this, " Chuck added.

"Duly noted and ignored. You don't want to come, stay here."

Chuck, staying true to form (and much to Sarah's dismay) opted to accompany them downwards. Before they descended Sarah pressed the taser into Chuck's hands and told him, "Use it only if we get separated. There's no telling if anyone's down there and I'm not taking any chances with your safety." Chuck didn't argue, despite his misgivings about stun-guns. If it put Sarah at ease he'll hold onto the weapon even if it was supposed to be a last resort.

The team made their way through the secret passageway careful to clear it room by room. It was slow work but Chuck kept his impatience to himself. From his experience playing Tom Clancy's Rainbow 6 ages ago he knew how easy it was for the bad guys to get the drop on you if you weren't careful and so held his tongue. Still, considering how stale the air was he was certain that nobody had been down here for a while and the whole thing would end anti-climatically.

It wasn't until they reached the last room that they uncovered any indication that someone had been there. A laptop sat there hooked up to a portable generator and to a black metal box that was completely devoid of any markings. The computer displayed a flock of flying toasters flying across the screen, indicating that it was in screensaver mode. Someone must have been here recently; otherwise it would have been in hibernation mode by now.

"What do you suppose that is?" Chuck asked Sarah.

"Only one way to find out, " Sarah said as she stepped up to the black box. She scanned it looking for an opening but found none, save the small hole drilled to admit the cable connected to the laptop. She reached for the cable only to be stopped by Casey, who grabbed her hand as it neared the cable.

"Watch it Walker! It could be rigged to go off if anything is tampered with. I've seen some nasty surprises in Afghanistan done with less," Casey warned her. "Let's get a look at what's inside before we take any action."

Sarah hummed to herself. "Hmm… You're right; I'll leave this to you since explosives are more of your domain anyways. The only problem is how we're going to get this open. I'm not seeing a latch on this thing and none of us came prepared with crowbars."

Casey shone his flashlight on the suspicious box as he circled it. "Doesn't look like they welded this thing close. Let me see… ah. Here's a panel they screwed onto this beast. Looks like we've got to head topside and track down a screwdriver."

"All right! I'm useful again," Chuck thought happily to himself.

Out loud he said, "Not this time Casey, I got this." To Sarah's surprise Chuck pulled out the Swiss Army knife Devon had gifted to Chuck sometime over the past year. She had forgotten he even had it. Besides being something Chuck wouldn't be embarrassed to admit to owning (evidence that that the only un-awesome thing about the man was his tacky gifting sense), it also turned out to be a lifesaver.

Casey gave grunt #82, middling approval. "Glad to see you're taking initiative for once Bartowski. I'll hold the panel up while you unscrew." For once Chuck didn't argue and the two actually co-operated without incident. Sarah took this as a good sign that the two respected each other if nothing else. She held her breath as the panel lowered, afraid that all of this was for naught.

Sarah shined her own light into the hole giving everyone a good view of the box's innards. Inside was a mass of wires and what appeared to be a machine. Chuck's eyes fluttered as the Flash took over, confirming what she suspected: here sat the nuke right under everyone's noses. She was about to say something when the laptop beeped. Looking over to it, she saw that the screensaver had disappeared and a new window came up. The simple message it displayed made her blood run cold. It said, "Tampering detected. Bomb detonation time is now 5 minutes. Kiss your keisters goodbye government stooges."

Casey cursed as he inspected the hole again. "Damn it! They put motion sensors inside."

"Casey, do you think you can disarm the nuke?" Sarah asked him, doing her best to keep the panic out of her voice. Only thanks to her extensive training did she succeed but she still gravitated to Chuck's side for comfort.

He sadly shook his head. "Not with what we got on hand. " Casey regarded the two for a moment before stating, "It's been an honor serving with you Walker. And Bartowski, you can be a pain in the ass but at least you've been a loyal one. Considering how many times I've been double crossed and betrayed I can fully appreciate that now."

Chuck was stunned. "Did he think they were going to die?" he thought to himself. " If so… No!" He couldn't give up now. He had the Flash fresh in his head. "Maybe it had something… wait! The detonation device BETHX35113851 blah blah blah… requires two detonation keys normally." So how was it armed now? He scanned the Flash further and found his answer. There was an override in case the weapon needed to be disabled but it had an exploit that could be used to detonate the bomb without the keys. The setup was digital and the override tool was a command line program that gave complete access to all of the device's features. If the " " file is run the bomb will go off.

"Guys I have something! The setup is purely digital. We got a chance to stop this thing!" he cried out.

"I don't think they're going to let us just do Ctrl+Alt+Delete on this Chuck," Sarah told him.

"Plus they probably have the hardware rigged if we try to dissemble the computer," Casey pointed out. "It's what I'd do."

"What if we blue screen the sucker?" Seeing the confusion in their eyes Chuck explained. "I'm sorry Sarah but I Flashed on the bomb to find out everything about it. These guys are running a customized program to act as a timer and detonator for the bomb. They couldn't use the usual means since this requires two keys to use it but they can use the override program to make it go off, which normally requires a special computer to use. These computers are heavily guarded ever since this exploit was found but one of the developers sold the source code before ending up dead. Someone got the code and modified it to run on a normal laptop, but here's the thing: it requires the program to be running constantly in order to work properly. If the laptop stops working before the clock hits zero…"

"The bomb becomes disarmed," Sarah finished. "Are you suggesting we infect it with a virus?"

"It's more effective than shooting the damn thing. If the first bullet doesn't do the job it could still go off," Casey pointed out. "But how are we going to do that? These walls are too thick to get a signal out and we can't cart it upstairs."

Chuck grinned. "Got just the thing." He slid the USB stick out of his pocket and stuck it into the computer. Sarah noticed him copy a file called "DeNova32" to the desktop and ran it. A window opened and an oddly familiar voice asked, "Me sexy?" before a much deeper voice replied, "Not so sexy now." All of a sudden a million different windows opened running different programs. Some ran random videos, others had random assortments of characters and numbers flash across them, and what Sarah thought was the computation of the square root of pi. Soon the desktop was too cluttered for any of them to follow, the timer buried in all of the computer busywork until the screen went completely blue and the words "A problem has been detected and Windows has been shut down to prevent damage to your computer" was shown at the top.

"Did it work?" Sarah asked cautiously.

"Only one way to find out," Casey said before yanking the cable out of the computer. Nothing happened thankfully and everyone could exhale after holding their breath. "That was some piece of work Bartowski. Where did you get that anyways?"

Chuck shrugged. "Anna and I are trying to build smarter security algorithms for our security software and we're constantly coming up with our own viruses to test it. This bad boy was derived from the Irena Demova virus so I like keeping it on me, like a sort of good luck charm I guess."

"That's the virus you used to save General Stanfield right?" Sarah asked. "You never cease to amaze me Chuck. Who else could do so much with a porno virus?"

Chuck grinned. "They don't call me the King of the Nerds for nothing." He gave her a quick peck on the lips to avoid agitating Casey's "No lady feelings on the job" policy. "I'm glad you didn't blow up."

"Me too," Sarah said beaming back at him.

"Can't say blowing up would have been good for my career either," Casey agreed. "Bartowski, I owe you a beer or the girly drink of your choice for saving our collective bacon. Now, let's get out of this scrapheap."

The three found themselves topside and gave the guarding officer the good news. Casey was feeling generous and let him call it in, making it seem like he was more instrumental in the bomb's location and disarmament than he actually was. Afterwards Casey received a call from Peyton asking for an update, both men wary of broadcasting over the radio. Sarah and Chuck stood leaning against the container in the meantime, the former rubbing the former Nerd Herder's back to comfort him once the realization hit home how badly things could have gone if his gamble ended up backfiring. It was an intimate gesture she usually wasn't comfortable showing in public but the need to help Chuck overrode her own misgivings.

Not long after Chuck found his mental equilibrium again, Casey looked over at them. "Bartowski, Walker, just got word that the local eggheads managed to decrypt that stick you grabbed off Shaw, with Wu's help. They think we might have something on what these scumbags really have in mind."

"You think this was all a diversion?" Sarah asked him plainly.

"I'd be lying if I say that hasn't crossed my mind. Still, without that lead we wouldn't have any idea where to start," Casey replied. "Ready to go?"

"Like Shakespeare once said, 'Once more unto the breach'," quoted Sarah.

"Good enough, let's roll out."

A/N: Favorite, follow and leave a review if you like the story (man I feel like I'm making YouTube videos!). Heck, if you have any problems leave a review too. I got thick skin. :-)


	31. Chapter 31

**A/N: **Sorry that this took a while to come out guys. A busy schedule and writer's block teamed up to kick my creativity's butt for over a mouth.

I'd like to thank good ol' **garnetflint** for pulling beta-reader duty again for me.

**Chapter 31**

Chuck sipped on his Dr. Pepper while Anna revealed what exactly she'd uncovered. Once the cops had secured the bomb Chuck had insisted on making a pit stop to get refreshments before meeting up at the police station. Sarah had agreed if nothing else but to stop her stomach from grumbling, but she did also notice that the sandwiches and drinks had helped boost morale among their impromptu team. Anna and Morgan's involvement in the mission was unexpected but considering how much of an asset they've been so far, taking the time to pick up grape juice and soft drinks was a good trade-off for their continued co-operation. Like Chuck told her, it's the small things that matter in the long run.

Casey took a swig from his overpriced ("but absolutely worth!" he insisted) coffee before addressing Anna. "So Wu, what's got your panties in a bunch?"

"Other than my panties actually getting bunched off from sitting here for several hours? Well, Mister Colonel Sir I found this bad boy," she said spinning the Orion laptop around. On it was a simple image of a sailboat, innocent to most people but Chuck could feel the stirring of a Flash. It was an Intersect encoded picture! "For some reason the preppy went all weird when he saw it so it must mean something. Not sure what though, can't even see a name on the side. "

"Were you able to get anything else off the drive? " Sarah asked formally. Chuck wasn't sure if she noticed the Flash but her poker face didn't reveal anything.

Anna shook her head sadly. "Afraid not. This thing is running some crazy security and that's all I've been able to pull so far. At least its password protected so maybe we could try guessing the code."

"Maybe the boat's a clue to that, " Casey guessed. "Did Larkin say anything about the boat?"

"Nope, he bugged out as soon as he saw it and nobody seen him since. I think he's hiding in the ceiling since the cops got all of the entrances covered in case somebody tries to go all Rambo in here. Morgan's looking for him right as we speak."

"Wonderful, the spook disappears when we actually need him. Guess I'll lend the gnome a hand looking for the sonnabitch," Casey grumbled.

Chuck looked thoughtful for a moment. The image contained a report on an old mission Shaw undertook. Maybe Casey was right that it was a clue. "Try typing in 'Melancholy Butterfly'."

Anna looked skeptical about Chuck's guess but decided to put it in anyways. After pressing the "Enter" key, the computer hung for a moment, actually it was more like a minute. For a moment she was afraid that they'd tripped a countermeasure when a new window appeared with several folders. Behind her Chuck had exhaled and Sarah had released her grip on her chair.

"Wow, you must have one hell of a Kung-fu grip," Anna joked with her. "I think you left finger marks in this flimsy piece of junk."

"I wasn't worried," Sarah replied, embarrassed that her anxiety was showing. The stress really must be getting her if not even training was kicking in.

Anna waved her off. "Sure, sure. Just waiting in anticipation, right? Here, why don't you take a gander on what we've uncovered while I grill Chuckles on how he got it right the first time? "

"I uh recognized the boat from some old briefings I used for reference in the past," Chuck explained. It wasn't exactly lying if you interpreted the past as being "one minute ago" and the Flash as a means of reference.

Anna snorted very unladylike. "And I thought Morgan had a mind like a steel trap. Alright, time for the spymaster to do her thing."

Sarah thanked her as she took the seat. She went through the files, discovering blueprints, documents and schedules. "It looks like they're planning an infiltration of a location somewhere on the island. I can't seem to find an address though and so far I haven't found anything indicating what they're after. "

"An infiltration? You meant this was all for a heist?!" Chuck exclaimed.

"I can't say with 100% certainty, but from my experience it looks like the type of Intel you'd need to plan one."

Chuck shook his head. "Blowing everyone up just to cover your own tracks. Sounds like somebody liked _Die Hard_ a little too much if you ask me."

"But it must be something incredibly important to go through the effort of trying to wiping out the entire Hawaiian Islands. What the hell could be so important to kill so many people?!" Anna sneered.

Chuck and Sarah shared a look. There was something in their recent past that many have killed to attain. "Information," was all Chuck said as he brought up an image of the largest server farm he's even laid eyes on.

"Somewhere that could process an incredibly large amount of it," Sarah clarified. "And that's going to eat up a large amount of power."

"Sounds like we got a lead to work with. Maybe Chief Peyton could have one of his boys check with the power company, see if anyone's been greedy with the juice, "Anna suggested.

"Like the sound of that plan," Sarah said. "Let's find Casey and fill him in."

As always, Casey was easily found by the duo by following the shouting. Just as they neared the source of the commotion a crash was heard followed by more shouting. Moments later Casey stepped out of the door dragging Bryce by the collar. Both men were covered in drywall for some reason.

Morgan came running up with a broom in hand. "Hey, you caught him!" he exclaimed. "Nice job John. I knew driving him into the lounge would work."

"What happened?" Chuck asked.

Casey grinned, which made Chuck nervous. "Grimes thought that loud noises would set him off so he started banging on the ceiling. He managed to corral him over to the ambush point so I could drag the little rodent out," he explained.

Sarah sadly shook her head. First they were treating Bryce like a dog, now like a racoon? For the sake of decency this can't go on. "Well, I'm glad you found him but could you try to treat him with a bit more dignity? He has saved my life once or twice in the past."

"And I bet you saved his twenty times over. Alright, I'll try acting less horrible to the weasel but only if you can get him to stop acting like this a playground, "Casey said as he pushed Bryce towards her. "Tell me some good news Walker. I don't think Larkin's in any shape to be helpful right now."

"Well, Chuck managed to figure it out on his own. The boat image came from an old mission briefing Chuck gone over before and he guessed the mission name was the password."

"Guess you can say I had a Flash of inspiration, " Chuck chimed in.

In a testament to his training, Casey avoided groaning at the bad joke. "Guess you got something working up there after all. What did you find?"

"They're planning an infiltration, location unknown," Sarah told him. "Though we have an idea what they're after."

"Is it Juno?" Bryce guessed. Something about being near Sarah, or away from Casey, seemed to calm him.

"Got it in one. The place has a massive server farm set up and that's draining an awful lot of power," Chuck told them.

Casey gave grunt #61, "realization". "It looks like we're going to need to scour the city's utilities database. You tell Peyton yet?"

"Not yet, we wanted to get you in the loop first. Wouldn't look very good if one of our team was left in the dark, " Sarah told him. At that moment Casey's phone rang, "The Girl from Ipanema" filling the air.

"Give me a minute Walker, got to take this. Not many got this number so it must be important," Casey said as he flipped the phone open. "Casey secure."

"John, I'm on an open line, situation grave but there are currently no eyes on me," answered a whispered voice, definitely female. Definitely familiar.

"General Beckman, it's good to hear from you. What's your sit-rep?" Casey asked. Knowing the General she'd prefer to be informed over receiving empty platitudes about her safety any day of the week.

"Unknowns ambushed me at the office and have kept prisoner for some time now. Not sure how they gained access but I suspect our friends at the Agency had a hand in this."

Casey shook his head. "Someone's crooked over there but it didn't come from the top."

"Are you sure?" Beckman asked him, the skepticism practically oozing over the phone.

"With 100% certainty General. Someone neutralized him right in front my eyes while I was in a teleconference with him and Secretary Lambert." The line went silent as she absorbing this information. Only her breathing indicated that she still was on the line. Once he gave her enough time he continued. "I must tell you that Daniel Shaw was working in collusion with this outfit but is now in police custody. Because the injuries sustained during his apprehension he's not in any shape to escape."

"I see. Is there any news about the nuclear material?" Beckman asked him, dreading the worst.

"I do have good news for once. Thanks to my team's efforts were able to track it down. It was indeed a bomb but thanks to our consultant it's been disarmed and secured."

"How in the world did he manage to do that?" Beckman asked incredulously. "I doubt bomb disposal was covered in university curriculum."

"He pulled a Stanfield ma'am, " he said plainly. "He used a variant of the same virus too to do it."

"Looks like Mason had a good idea for once, pulling to put him on the team. And here I thought he was trying to spite me," Beckman admitted. "I don't believe we're in the clear yet. My capturers mentioned Omaha when they where interrogating me. I managed to escape thanks to Walker's co-patriot before they got me to talk but we're currently trapped. The whole building went on lockdown. "

Casey grunted. "You have any idea where you're being kept? I know a couple of eggheads that might be able to help."

"I know it too well. We're in Langley."

The CIA's headquarters? She was kept right underneath their noses the whole time?! Casey couldn't believe how brazen these hostiles were. "I'll see what I can do General. I'll call when I have something."

"The sooner the better. Beckman out."

Casey frowned. He hated asking for favours from the man but there weren't many that could breach the CIA's security quickly. He looked over at Chuck. "Bartowski, we have a situation. How quickly can you contact Orion?"

"This is about General Beckman, right?" He shrank under Casey's stare but continued on. "Sorry to overhear but you weren't exactly being quiet," Chuck pointed out. "You know I don't like involving him if I can help and I think we won't need Orion's help this time. "

"You think you can hack in Chuck?" Sarah asked him disbelievingly. "I know you're good but I don't think you'll be able to get in so quickly. That is unless you have some other miracle up your sleeve."

"I uh… hate to admit it but I actually have an in with the system already, " Chuck told her nervously. "Back when we first moved into Castle, I put a key logger program on Casey's computer to get his password so I could access his workstation. With it I created a super-user account for myself under the name 'Juan Schwartz' and since we were connected to both the NSA's and the CIA's networks, I should have unrestricted access. "

Casey was not a happy camper. "What the hell were you thinking moron?! You introduced a major hole in security for not just one but two major intelligence organizations!"

"I cleared out my software right afterwards and I put in a password that will kill the account instantly if someone nabs me, " Chuck quickly informed him. "I know how risky I was being."

"But Chuck, why did you think you needed to do that anyways? " Sarah asked him, doing her best to keep the hurt out of her voice. It was a different time but the level of distrust still rattled her.

Chuck sighed. "Right after you told me the first standalone Intersect computers got scrapped and I was still the only Intersect, I found the Morgan Door closed and locked. I remembered leaving it ajar for Morgan so he could slip in after his shift."

Sarah fell quiet at the revelation. She knew the higher ups weren't willing to let Chuck walk around with his head full of intel but she wasn't aware that the Senate would have considered placing a kill order on Chuck. _"Unless Beckman took matters into her own hands,"_ Sarah reminded herself. The older woman didn't have patience for red tape at the best of times and at that stage found Chuck contemptible. No wonder he gotten paranoid in the later stages of Project Bartowski.

"Casey, you're right to be angry but Chuck did give us a way in. If we're going to be of any help to Beckman I suggest we use it and take care of the administrative concerns later, " Sarah said out loud. "Chuck, how quickly can you gain access?"

"Two minutes top, " Chuck sputtered. "Look, I'm sorry that I…"

Sarah cut him right off. "You did what you had to, and I can't fault you for that. I can't begin to imagine what you thought of us at the time but I want you to know that I trust you Chuck, no matter what."

Chuck seemed to brighten up at her words. "Then you can trust me to do the right thing, " he said as he headed out the door. Moments later, he returned with Morgan's laptop in hand. "Don't worry, I asked Anna nicely and she was too preoccupied to ask questions. And don't worry Casey; I always clean up my own messes. I've lived with Ellie for so long that it's become second nature."

"Your neatness better be compulsory, " Casey grumbled. He really hated having someone get one over him, especially one former Nerd Herder, but he was willing to let it slide if it meant saving his superior.

The three of them situated themselves in a conference room and quickly got to work. Within minutes Chuck has established connection with the CIA's system and Sarah was helping him navigate the security system while Casey attempted to re-establish connection with General Beckman. It wasn't until a few minutes later that Beckman called him back. "Beckman here, I'm on a party line. I'm here with my new compatriot in cover. We had to evade a few patrols but so far we're clear. Have you gotten support yet?"

"General, I got my team on the line. We managed to breech security and we're going to get you out of there," Casey told her. "I'm putting you on speaker so we won't be playing phone tag."

"Is Walker there?" called out a male voice, one that sounded oddly familiar to Chuck.

"I'm here Damien, though I'm surprised to hear you back in the field. I thought you were going to just do some digging," Sarah told him.

"That was the plan, but things escalated quickly. There's been a lot of activity happening in the Agency, none of which makes any sense. At first I went to the higher ups but I got frozen out immediately. I had evidence in hand too, and you know the Agency's always eager to smoke out moles. I tried going to Director Mason about this but his secretary claims he hasn't been seen for days. With Mason missing my options narrowed down to taking action or turning a blind eye. You can guess which one I took."

"Funny, I never pegged you for a boy scout," Sarah quipped before her voice turned serious. "And you were right to suspect something. Mason's dead, he was assassinated during a teleconference with my team. Before he died it sounded like he recognized his assailant."

"Which means the Agency could be compromised. Had to be somebody with high security clearance to just waltz into the Director's office without raising an alarm, "Damien deducted. "That's going to make things messy for us all. I thought it was just a few of our guys went rouge, like when FULCRUM was around, but if this goes further up we'll be hard pressed to find someone to listen."

"Not so. If we escape we can head to Secretary Lambert's offices. I know Lambert from my Army days and I know he won't leave an old squad mate in the cold," Beckman told him.

"Plus there's the information we uncovered, " Sarah added. "We found blueprints and photos of a Juno base being carried on a mercenary's USB stick. Only someone with high security level could have gotten access it and there's no way Secretary Lambert can ignore that."

"Still, we need to get of here first. How reliable is your tech guy? Can you trust him not to sell us out?" Damien asked.

By now Chuck had recognized the man's voice. "Well, you did trust me enough to lead Team Man-o-war to victory in the tourney but I'd understand you being gun-shy after our crushing defeat at the hands of the Hot Topic bunch."

"Wait a minute… it this DarkKnot1213?!" Damien asked incredulously.

"One and the same Barracuda72, but you can call me Chuck," Chuck beamed. "I'm in the security system now, so Sarah and I can guide you out. "

"Wait a minute. You are? How'd you manage that so quickly? I know you're a sharp one but Agency security isn't anything to sneeze at."

Chuck shrugged. "I've worked as a Digital Security consultant for the Agency in the past so I know my way around. Since I was vacationing with Sarah when a Black Watch Plaid Alert went out we were around to lend a hand."

"Back up a minute there Chuck. How do you two know each other?" Sarah asked him.

Damien jumped in. "You'll laugh but I used to play video games online with him. I know I know, it goes against the whole sophisticated image the boys on the Farm are so religious with keeping up, but considering I was stuck with Shaw for so long I was desperate to blow off steam. When your options are either shooting space aliens in the face from the safety of your apartment, or getting good and loaded in a nasty dive every day I decided to go with the more sensible of the two."

"Makes sense to me. There's definitely less of a risk spilling something to the locales during a drunken ramble," Sarah agreed. "I think there's a way out of the building that you two can take without raising anymore alerts. Are you familiar at all with the old Cold War security protocols?"

"Sort of. It has been awhile since I had to deal with that stuff since everyone's all about digital these days. You got something in mind Sarah?" Damien asked her.

"I do, and you're going to love it. There's one written for the worst case scenario that the Soviets actually tried to take Washington. In case of invasion there's a hidden escape route that would take the Director and other valuable personal to the outskirts of D.C. Not too many people know about it so the route should be open," Sarah told them.

"If that's the case Agent Walker then how did an agent with your security level gain knowledge of its existence?" Beckman asked her. To Sarah's ears the question sounded like an accusation but she let it slide. 

"When I was starting out in the CIA I became fascinated with the more, shall we say, eccentric solutions the Agency devised to combat the Soviet Union. I knew a clerk that owed me a favor that had access to the archives so I could scour through the old documents at my leisure. I stopped once Graham caught wind of my extracurricular activities but I still remembered the details."

"You always had an eye for the details, " Casey acknowledged. "But what exactly prompted this interest? Most new recruits couldn't care least about ancient history."

"Well… to be honest it was the old stories some of the senior agents shared that did the trick. Some of the things they talked about sounded like something from science fiction or those old pulp stories my dad used to read to me when I was younger, and I just had to learn more," Sarah admitted to them as her face went red with embarrassment. In any other situation this was something she'd keep to herself but she needed Beckman to believe she wasn't walking them into a trap.

"So you found out an important state secret because you were geeking out?! " Casey said in disbelief.

"I think that's the cutest thing I ever heard, "Chuck said happily, totally reveling in the sappiness.

"Ugh, save that for later Bartowski. I don't have time for you to make me sick with your lovey-dovey crap," Casey muttered to him. "Walker, you remember where the entrance to this secret passage of yours?"

"Yes, but you're not going to like it. It's in the Director's office located behind the CIA seal at the back of the office."

"At least it wasn't the bookcase. That cliché is so old it can be carbon dated," Chuck joked.

"Wonderful. There's no way they're going to be able to skirt security patrols for long if they head that way," Casey groused as he completely ignored Chuck.

"At least we have access to the security cameras. We could spot the patrols and have them slip through the holes in their sweep, " Sarah pointed out.

"At this point playing hide and seek with the guards is our only option. I didn't have time to prepare properly for an extraction when I sprung Beckman so getting into a gunfight's out of the question. I caught wind that she was going to be moved offsite soon so it was either going in with just my backup piece or risk losing her, " Damien told them.

"Your plan makes sense but we got to keep in mind that if we have access to the cameras then the hostiles do too. Is there anything you can do to lock them out? " Casey asked Chuck.

"Got just the thing. I can have their cam footage loop the last 5 minutes continually while we get the live ones sent to my laptop. It's not perfect but it'll be less obvious to them that I got in versus me just shutting the feeds down," Chuck replied.

"No plan ever is. Alright, if that works for you General we'll go with this plan of action," Casey told her.

"I'll follow your lead on this John. Give us a minute and we'll be in position to begin. For the duration of this Agent Rhodes will be the point of contact, " Beckman told him.

"Roger that, see you on the other side, " Casey said into the phone before muting it. "Walker, you're the most familiar with the layout of the place so you take lead. Bartowski, for the love of everything holy ignore your instincts to question everything I tell you and follow her lead. The last thing we need now is two different voices squabbling over the line giving contradictory intel."

"Trust me Casey, I'm all too familiar with the headaches that having too many managers can bring, " Chuck told him. "Like you said Sarah knows the place top to bottom. There isn't anyone better to navigate."

"Thanks Chuck," Sarah replied, grateful for his confidence in her. "I think now's a good time to start up the feed loops. Beckman's always has been a stickler for punctuality you know. "

"I hear that. Booting up now… and we're good. Let's get this party started!"

Casey looked on as Chuck and Sarah directed his boss through the maze of treasonous S.O.B's. He felt helpless just sitting there as the fate of General Beckman, one of the finest patriots he's had the pleasure of serving under, laid in the hands of the others. If pressed he'd admit that the reason for his discomfort was that he had to trust others to get the job done for him after years of relying on only himself to see the mission through. It was the same problem seasoned field agents faced once they're "promoted" to leadership roles; the layers of distrust that once was an asset in the field now worked against you. The only thing keeping him sane was his army training telling him to trust the specialist to do his work and not to meddle, least the mission go awry.

It wasn't until Walker confirmed that they'd entered the office that Casey allowed himself to relax. For security reasons there wasn't a camera in the office itself so Bartowski couldn't get a visual on the General or Rhodes but by now he learned to accept Walker's word about mission specifics. Somehow his team, which consisted of a civvie and a spook of all things, managed to salvage the situation. If asked 2 years prior he'd thought it was a bad joke to go into a situation with both in tow, which just went to show how much things had changed that he'd consider Bartowski and Walker as part of his list of valuable allies. "Careful Casey, you sound like you actually like being around the lovebirds," he joked to himself.

It took minutes (which felt like hours to Casey) for the group to locate the access panel to the escape route. Either by design or by accident it had been carpeted over which explained why Walker took forever to find the damn thing. Thankfully the government had cut corners when it came to the furnishing of the office, having opted for the cheapest carpeting possible, and so Rhodes was able to pry it loose from the floor with just a letter opener. Before the two made their escape Casey had Rhodes put General Beckman on, and took the phone off speaker.

"General, there's something I need to confirm with you before you head in. It's something relevant to the apprehension of these bogeys. Walker tells me the route runs underneath 30 feet of concrete so it's now or much later," he said into phone.

"Go ahead John," she said without hesitation.

"We have strong reason to believe that the device was a ruse to cover up the infiltration of a data center. General, under any other situation I'd keep my nose clear of it but if we're going to get the jump on this outfit I need to know more. Is there such a center on the island?" he asked. There was a good chance the General would be hesitant to share on an unencrypted phone but at least by keeping any mention of "Juno" out of the conversation he'd given her plausible deniability.

"And you can confirm that it's their intended target?" Beckman asked him.

"All the evidence points to it. Considering the fact that the imaging facility was hit already points to one thing."

It was left unsaid but they both knew the most logical outcome. _Someone's making their own Intersect hosts. _Beckman was quiet for a moment but that was all she needed to make a decision. "I hope you're up to date with your public comms cyphers John because I'm not repeating this twice."

Casey listened in as the General gave him the details. Twice Chuck tried to say something but was silenced with a glare. The phrases used a mix of ancient English and some of the Navarro dialect, making it hard for most eavesdroppers to decipher. Needless to say he needed every word heard to ensure nothing was lost in translation. Minutes later, he wished her luck and hung up the phone.

"Sounds like Beckman gave you an earful there," Sarah stated. "Anything you can share with the class?"

"The General just saved us a lot of time just now, and it's a good thing too since it's full of civvies," Casey told her. "And we probably wouldn't have figured it out until was too late. DARP really out done themselves this time."

"'You got to be kidding me Casey! It looked like the amount of energy used to power all of those servers would have dwarfed Las Vegas' by at least oh… 200% at least. How the heck could they hope to hide that?" Chuck asked skeptically.

Casey grinned at the nerd, happy to get one over on him in the tech department. "It's simple really. You get it right from the source and nobody's the wiser. Who would have thought that the Juno base would be right under the island's main power plant?"


	32. Chapter 32

**A/N: **Thanks to **garnetflint** for acting as beta-reader for this chapter, and to you all that continued with this tale. Sorry it took a while, writer's block and the holidays gummed up my inspiration.

**Chapter 32**

The police station was a maelstrom of activity, so much so that Chuck found himself having to duck and weave through the bodies of police officers to avoid being swept away by the crowd. Not even Casey's large frame was enough to part this sea of cops, each too wrapped up to notice the three. Something had put the cops on edge, something terrible, and Chuck almost loathed finding out what. After what seemed forever they reached Chief Peyton's office, finding the Chief of Police engrossed in a phone call. As Chuck noticed it turned out to be several actually. Every few seconds he'd switch between different lines to utter a few words before switching back.

Sarah caught his eye (not that it required much effort on her part) and he gestured he'd be off in a moment. After waiting what seemed like forever he finally hung up and faced the trio. To Chuck's eyes he seemed to have aged a whole decade since the briefing a few hours ago.

"Glad to see you three here. I can't say I'm thrilled with the arrangement but I can't say that I hate the results either. The bomb disposal unit reported to me that the nuclear device was fully disarmed when they got there so I guess I should be grateful that at least one thing went right today," Peyton said tiredly.

Casey grunted. "Sounds like things have gone FUBAR on you. What happened? Did these scumbags retaliate?"

"In a manner. The video with Agent Walker's doppelganger was sent to local TV and uploaded to the Internet. Folks started panicking in the streets but it wasn't anything worse than World Cup. That was until the explosions went off."

"Explosions? How many are we talking about?" Sarah asked him.

"Let's see…" Peyton trailed off as he went through the reports on his desk. "There were a few in the downtown core… and a slew of them on the highway. Normally it's dead at the hour but with the tourist season in full swing we got traffic jams right now. The explosions happened at the base of the support columns, sending a few poor souls falling to their deaths. I also had a report that several bridges were targeted and the port had a big blast of its own. The airport though... that was the worst. Some lunatic drove a garbage truck right into it and set off what appeared to be a homemade bomb. So to answer your question Agent, it's more than zero and that downright pisses me off. "

"My… holy…" Chuck stammered. "No wonder the station's gone crazy!"

"Must be pure pandemonium out there," Sarah noted. "Those monsters must have been counting on that for when they make their move."

"You sound like you have an idea what they're after," Peyton noted.

"We got a lead, and I have it on very good authority that it's 100% legit," Casey told him. "There's a power plant on the island that has a secret facility underneath it. I can't say exactly what they do there but I can confirm that it entails dealing with a large volume of information. No contagious diseases or bio weapons are involved."

"So it's really some spy base?" Peyton said disbelievingly. "I doubt that. There's only one power plant on the island and I can tell you it's active. We wouldn't have the lights on if it just a front. "

Sarah shook her head. "From my experience the successful fronts are the ones that actually do the work they're supposed to. Most likely the majority of the workers are kept in the dark about the dual nature of the business since it's much too difficult to monitor that many employees without raising a few red flags. Add in an alternate entrance for the clandestine operations and no one is the wiser."

"Jesus, if you're right we could be faced with a hostage situation," Peyton said tiredly. "Let me think… I can't free up that many men right now, and there's not going to be any re-enforcements unless Martial Law is called. Trust me, if it gets to that stage things are going to get worst for a long time before it gets better. "

"Damn civvies get spooked easily even if it's the good guys coming in, " Casey grumbled. "Look, can you free up a few uniforms to help us secure the plant? I know you've got your hands full here but we can't wait for things to die down if the bogeys are on the move. Not if we want to get those plant workers out alive."

"_If they're bothering to take hostages,"_ Casey mentally added to himself. There was a chance they'd go for expedience and simply execute the civvies instead of wasting the manpower and time to secure them. That much he suspected but he knew that was the last thing to he'd mention to Peyton right now if he was to get his help.

"With the current panic it'll be near impossible for me to recall officers but I'll see if I can round up a few to offer backup. Until we can get a read on the situation I can't justify sending SWAT right now, " Peyton told him. "If there is hostages call it in and wait for the team. "

"Never been one for cowboy antics sir. You have nothing to worry about on that end, " Sarah told him. Chuck knew she was mentally crossing her fingers but he held his tongue.

Peyton shrugged. "Guess your word will have to do," he said without much conviction. "You want me to find an officer to get you there?"

"We'll make our own way there, " Casey replied quickly. "Time's wasting and like you said it'll take time to find someone competent and available. We'll contact you over dispatch just in case the cell towers are jammed up."

Peyton nodded to them, signalling the meeting was over. Back in the hallway Chuck spoke up. "So… how're we getting to the plant then? Unless you managed to pick up a GPS sometime between Anderson's escape and now we're totally going to get lost out there. "

Casey gave grunt #91, thoughtful and unhappy. "Looks like we're going to need someone that knows the lay of the land. You think Grimes is willing to play tour guide to us? I know you're hesitant to get the gnome involved but we're not looking at many option here."

Sarah added, "We just need him to get there Chuck, so he's not going to be near any shooting, but I can understand if you want to avoid involving him. If things out there are nearly as bad as Peyton says it might prudent to leave him in the station and we can try our luck with a road map. He's your friend Chuck so I'll leave the decision up to you." Casey frowned at her words but didn't say anymore. He needed Bartowski on his side for this but he could get obstinate if he thought they were playing around with the lives of the people close to him, so maybe Walker had the right idea being frank with him.

Chuck frown as he mulled the pros and cons of the situation. It was dangerous out there… but things could get much much worse for everyone if they didn't catch these guys. "I'll ask Morgan if he'd be willing to get us there, " he eventually said, "but you got to realize that if I do Anna's obviously going to insist on coming. Knowing her she's going want to keep an eye on him after everything that's happened. "

"I can live with taking those two along, heck it might be good to have Wu along to keep Grimes in line, though there's going to be some ground rules. They stay outside of the plant, they don't share what happened with anyone and lastly they do not treat the backseat of the squad car like the home theatre while we're inside. Got it?" Casey asked him.

"The home theatre? What's he talking about Chuck?" Sarah asked him confusedly.

"Well… you see when a man and… uh… no comment!" Chuck hurriedly replied. "Got to go convince Morgan to come along. Time's a wastin' after all." And like that he was hurrying down the hall like his life depended on it.

Sarah looked to Casey and shot him a quizzical look. "Anything you like to share Colonel?" she asked him with just a hint of mischief. Seeing Chuck's reaction said it all but there was something about seeing Casey squirm that just made her day.

0-0

As predicted Morgan agreed to act as their guide and of course Anna ended up inviting herself along. Since they were borrowing a detective's unmarked vehicle, Chuck, Sarah and Anna were able to snugly seat themselves in the back while Casey and Morgan took the front. "Glad you guys got a car without the divider. At least I can ride back here without feeling like I'm on my way to the pokey, " Anna quipped and Sarah couldn't help but agree. A misspent youth plus her years in black ops made her dread the backseat to the point of irrationality.

Everyone was certainly glad they were using a cop car that the plainclothes detectives used when they hit the downtown core. There was no way they could avoid it with the highway out of commission and Morgan did his best to skirt trouble whenever possible. It wasn't enough to avoid the sight of police cars toppled and in one case set ablaze. There were no bodies in the streets but there were signs of blood on the streets and cars.

"Malcontents, " Casey groused. "Damn lunatics will be coming out of the wood-works now. Confused people in the streets are like a siren song to them." Thankfully they'd avoided the worst of it but it sent chills up Chuck's spine as he took in what occurred. It dredged up half forgotten memories of the news footage he saw of the L.A. riots back in 1993 and it made his stomach turn just thinking of what happened just recently.

An hour later, the group found themselves a few miles away from the plant. Morgan was originally going to pull right up but Casey had him stop further away in order to scout out the area first. Sarah volunteered to go first, being easier to miss in the dark and had a much better chance of talking her way out of trouble than Casey would have. Something about the bigger man's personality just had a tendency to rub people the wrong way, although he wasn't sure why (and Chuck wasn't eager to explain why either). In the meantime Casey was getting the gear together and Chuck was looking for blueprints to the plant using his superuser account in the CIA. True, it made Casey uneasy that the damn thing existed but it was handy for bypassing the red tape. Like the old saying goes, it's easier asking for forgiveness than permission, especially when you got results.

With nothing better to do and with the backseat being off limits, Anna and Morgan got bored in a hurry. "Man, I'm glad security guard was never a job on my resume," Morgan quipped after starring fruitlessly into the dark for the umpteenth time. "I'd probably lose my mind after the second day. How do you manage it Chuck?"

Chuck shrugged. "Well, most of the time I'm too busy being freaked out and/or cheesed off to get bored on these things. If it's just me and Sarah doing surveillance we just kill the time trying to outdo each other at trivia."

Anna cocked an eyebrow. "None of the old 'wink-wink, nug-nug, say no more?" When Chuck shook his head she said flabbergasted, "How is that even possible? The two of you obviously had that weird sexual tension since day one and you're in a close space for long stretches at a time. "

Casey made his disdain for this topic clear with a loud "Ugh!" but was content that he didn't have to contribute anymore to this conversation. Chuck wasn't so lucky. How the hell was he going to explain the whole messy cover/not cover relationship without him sounding like a schmuck or a sleazebag? "Well..." Chuck began. "Sarah's really motivated when it comes to her job. Most of the time she doesn't like mixing business and pleasure since it makes both messy and not fun, so we decided that we'd wait until the current job was done before being... intimate. "

_ "Sure, it was two years later but hey, good things come to those that wait,_" he mentally added.

"A career woman, eh? I can respect that, " Anna told him.

"She sure is the driven type, " Morgan added. "Try playing her at air hockey some time. I remember challenging her to a match at the boardwalk once and she kept demanding a rematch until she won." To Anna he whispered, "I totally threw that last one. She just wasn't taking no for an answer and I needed to use the potty."

Chuck laughed without looking up from the screen. "That's Sarah for you; Got a competitive streak a mile long and always growing. Ah hah!" he shouted in triumph. "Found 'em. They buried it in some files on sanitation plants. Probably would have missed them too if I wasn't looking for them. "

"Great work Chuck!" Sarah said enthusiastically, causing Anna and Morgan to jump in surprise at her abrupt reappearance. Chuck, long accustomed to her stealthy approaches, was unflappable and nonchalantly gave her a peck on the lips.

"Holy moley, you are a ninja!" Morgan exclaimed. "You're quieter than a leaf on the breeze."

"Hot damn, you must have been the hide and seek champion when you were a kid, " Anna said in awe. "You got to teach your technique some time."

"Sorry Anna, trade secret, " Sarah said mischievously. "Though here's a tip: if you're in a bind putting socks over your shoes helps muffle the sound. Definitely came in handy whenever I snuck out while I was grounded."

"You were a problem child? Well colour me surprised, " Casey said unenthusiastically as he joined the group. "What did you learn Walker?"

Sarah furrowed her brow. "Looks troubling to me Casey. Didn't see any movement outside but the lights are definitely on. No sentries either."

"Oh crap," Chuck said before covering his mouth.

"So that's bad," Morgan concluded, though still looked confused. "Uh... why's that bad anyways? You've got a clear shot from here to the plant."

"It's bad news because they're not bothering to cover their tracks moron, " Casey griped. "That means no hostages and they think nobody can reach them now."

"It might also suggest that they believe their exit strategy can't fail," Sarah added. "I found a secret entrance but it's not too close to the highway. No way can they get off the island without drawing too much attention if they reuse it. Could there be another way out I haven't found yet?"

"Possibly, just give me a sec to check, " Chuck said before spinning back to the laptop. Within minutes Chuck was pouring over the blueprints at a fast pace, alarmingly fast. Chuck was reading them faster than anyone Casey ever known, and he's known a few old school spooks that were trained to quickly commit intel to memory. After a moment, he and Sarah had to look away from the screen to avoid the blur of images due to the pace Chuck set for himself.

After what turned out to be just two minutes Chuck spoke up. "Found what we're looking for, and you're not going to like it," he said ominously.

"Chuck, is that a super secretive submarine spy base?" Morgan said in disbelief while simultaneously uttering a tongue twister.

"It is, " Casey said as the dread pooled in his guts. These scumbags basically committed an act of war against the island (nationality be damned) and now they have news that they could just slip by undetected if given enough time. There would be no waiting for the cavalry if they wanted to catch these maggots before they finish their tasks and slip away. "We're going to need to get in there ASAP. Bartowski, grab a vest. You're coming with Walker and me in case we need to get through security inside."

"Inside? Wait a minute Casey what about the other way in Sarah found?" Chuck asked him incredulously.

Casey shook his head. "Too risky. If the bogeys know about the base under the plant there's a good chance they know about the alternate entrances. If I was them I'd leave some men there to ambush whoever goes in to investigate."

"Plus they'd have ample time to dig in with the chaos they stirred up," Sarah brought up. "But that could also suggest that they believe their task is going to take a while."

"If that server farm is remotely as big as those pics suggest, it definitely isn't going to be a quick smash and grab, " Anna agreed. "Sooo… since there's no way the Colonel's going to want us to tag along is there anything we could do in the meantime? We can get the pizzas for the victory party later after you catch these assholes."

Sarah thought to herself, _"You know what they say about idle hands,"_ and then told her, "Actually there is. We don't have much in the way of support so it would be a big help if you could keep watch on the plant. There's no telling how long we're going to be in there and we could have company at any moment. Here, you can use my binoculars but take care of them. Finding a good replacement is harder than you'd think, " she said before handing over the smallest pair of binoculars Chuck ever seen.

"Those telemarketers are getting worse and worse by the day, " Morgan joked. "But sure, we can do that. There a number you want us to call at if we spot anyone?"

"Better text me buddy. Don't want to do the whole 'ringing at the worst time' cliché after all, " Chuck told him. "I'll make sure to keep my phone on silent but the vibration will do the trick."

"Can't say I agree with this but we're shorthanded already," Casey noted. "Alright, I'll trust you two with this but if you do spot trouble, get the message out and disappear immediately. There's a good chance these bastards will shoot you on the spot if you stick around."

"Don't have to tell me twice Casey. I've got a vested interest in not dying after all."

"And red totally isn't my color, " Anna chimed in.

Once outfitted with combat gear (and the recovered Twilight Dart gun for Chuck), the trio slipped into trees. Chuck marvelled how quietly Casey and Sarah manoeuvred through the foliage so effortlessly while he had to maintain constant vigilance to avoid every root, branch and piece of trash that threatened to give away their position. He could see Sarah, with her dancer's grace, move so swiftly but Casey was a different story. The man was massive compared to him yet somehow he managed to move without a sound, like he was hovering off the ground. "Must be that army training he's always so proud of," Chuck guessed to himself as he barely ducked a branch Casey accidentally flung his way.

Things got trickier when they reached the outer perimeter of the plant. The whole area was well lit, leaving no shadows for them to sneak around in and few obstacles to use as cover. A few cars were left in the parking lot but were spaced out too far away for Chuck's tastes. Despite what he believed in the past this moment truly felt the longest, dashing from car to car with Sarah by his side and Casey giving them cover. Any moment Chuck expected men to come pouring out of the power plant and turn the lot to turn into a shooting gallery, yet... nothing. Even as Sarah covered Casey's trip over nothing occurred. In the light of the lampposts he stood out like a lighthouse in the fog, impossible to miss really, but still... no reaction. By the time they made it to the front entrance Chuck was beginning to wonder if they had even posted a guard.

Inside Casey took point as they swept room to room, Sarah following behind with a burrowed Ar-15 and Chuck with the ridiculously expensive dart gun. Chuck was surprised that they trusted him with the gun, but Sarah told him he earned it after going toe-to-toe with Shaw and coming out on top. Casey agreed since it was, as he put it, "no more harmful than a potato gun". Still, he made Chuck promise to be very, very, very careful with his shots since the darts did something awful to his inside. "Like having chipotle for 5 days straight," Casey told him, and much to his satisfaction Chuck gagged at the thought.

Casey led the search with shotgun at the ready in case hostiles were found, and much to their disappointment nothing was stirring, not even a mouse. "Could we have made a mistake?" Sarah wondered. "That stick could have been a red herring in case the operation was compromised."

"I'd think so too Walker, that is if I didn't smell blood in the air, " Casey said at a whisper. The nearby room was sparse except for a desk and a swivel chair who's back faced them. Casey slowly turned the chair around showing that its last inhabitant never sat up. The dead man was shot 3 times in the chest, drenching the chair and desk with blood.

"Jeez, poor guy," Chuck murmured out loud.

"Didn't even get a chance to get a shot off, " Sarah noted as she nudged something lying by the victim's feet. Up close Chuck could tell it was a gun, a UMP sub-machine gun to be exact. After all of those hours playing Counter-Strike it was impossible to for him to mistaken it for anything else.

"Well, at least we can say we're on the right track, " Casey brought up. "Can't imagine your garden variety pen pusher packing heat on the job." He stooped to close the man's eyes before continuing. "Let's move further in. We're not going to find anything else now. "

"What about the other workers. There might be..." Chuck began.

"Body's gone cold Bartowski for a long while. Bogeys were done with this section long ago," Casey cut him off.

Chuck frowned at the implications, but quickly switched back to a neutral. He swore he wasn't going to burden Sarah while they were in the thick of things so he kept quiet. Even so, he was grateful when they went back into the hallway that she wordlessly gave him a quick squeeze on the shoulder and a peck on the cheek. It always was the small gestured that seemed to matter the most between them.

After some time and effort the entrance to the Juno base had been uncovered. It had taken longer than usual since it was located in a broom closet instead of the more trafficked areas like Sarah and Casey were used to. Sarah closed the door behind them while the others looked for a way in. The mechanism to gain access was disguised as a broken coat hook that you had to lift up to activate. A part of the wall slide open with an audible "Whoosh" before swinging back to reveal a steel door with keypad. The door itself was sterile and featureless, save a serial number etched into the top corner.

"Funny, you'd think you'd need to pull down to do it, " Chuck noted.

"Actually, it makes sense. If a civilian decided to hang something on it the entrance wouldn't open," Sarah noted. "Nobody in their right mind would think to pull up especially when they're dealing with sharp edges." She walked over to the pad and entered into it a series of numbers, only to be rewarded with a brief buzz. "Damn, I was hoping my credentials would get us in. I guess they really did revoke them when I was taken off the project."

Casey gave grunt #77, "I'm not surprised" . "It's not like we don't have any other options, " he told her. "Bartowski, you got anything?"

Much to Casey's surprise, Chuck pulled the backpack off his back and dug out he borrowed from Anna. He spent so long thinking of him as an Intersect on legs he sometimes forgot that the nerd had other means of getting info. He spent a minute typing into it until he looked up. "I've cross referenced 'Melancholy Butterfly' and that serial number on the door. Thanks to my super-user account it was a piece of cake finding the password. Try the following Sarah."

Chuck rattled off a long series of numbers, longer than Sarah's original one, heck longer than Casey's yearly ammo budget, and this time the door gave a confirmation chime. The powerful magnetic seals had quietly disengaged and the door lifted up. The whole process was no louder than a cough and could easily be drowned out by the noise the electric generators made.

"After you, " Sarah said with a flourish.

"You're too kind," came a familiar voice behind them. The three spun around to the broom closet's door, now wide open. In the hallway where four gunmen, each equipped with MP5 machine gun and dressed up in black tactical gear. They were positioned so that they had a clear shot at the team, leaving no cover for them to use. Three of them wore balaclavas to cover their faces but the fourth man went unadorned as to avoid any confusion to his identity. Daniel Shaw stood there with the cruelest grin on his face. "But I must decline. Drop your weapons and step through the door. We've been expecting you three, and there's much to discuss. Especially with you Charles Irving Bartowski."


	33. Chapter 33

A/N: 33 chapters and going strong! Thanks to **garnetflint** to acting as beta-reader on this chapter. Sorry for yet another long hiatus everyone, I got my worst case of writer's block yet.

**Chapter 33**

Chuck and the others were led by gunpoint through the facility, a maze of sterile metallic walls so bland that the hallways began to blur together in his mind. If it hadn't been for the locations of the doors being different, Chuck would have thought they were stuck in some nightmarish infinite loop. On their way to their intended destination, he quickly caught a glimpse of one of the server rooms before a rifle barrel to the kidneys prodded him along. It housed a massive server farm inside, the largest he'd ever seen in person or from pictures. If there were more around, this whole operation would certainly dwarf Google's already impressive data centers.

"It must be like the Fort Knox of information," Chuck thought to himself. "No wonder these guys undertook these terrible acts. The government would be all over these guys otherwise. But there's just too much data to just copy it all over to a hard drive and walk out the door. "A realization came to him. "They must be looking for something specifically. But what could it be?"

Their captors weren't going to answer them either. Whether by training or by Shaw's orders they were dead quiet the whole time, refusing Casey's and Sarah's efforts to draw them into conversation. Even Casey's winning personality did nothing to shake their resolve, only earning him a less friendly blow to the kidneys than what Chuck got. Chuck couldn't even talk to Sarah without somebody snapping at him, though he couldn't see the harm in trying to keep Sarah's spirits up when several men had assault rifles pointing at your back. It wasn't like he could just shout, "Shazam!" and have them out of there in record time.

The pat downs didn't do much to improve Chuck's mood either. Seeing some faceless goons poke and prod Sarah like a piece of meat got his heckles up, and he couldn't even have the satisfaction of seeing her disarm the man and giving these guys a much needed beat down without Sarah getting shot. They were positioned so that two gunmen were situated on either side of her during the pat down, giving them a perfect line of fire in case she or Casey offered any resistance. Shaw disappeared while Casey was being frisked, probably to discuss the group's nefarious plans with Anderson, or some other mysterious party, which was why Chuck got the abridged version of the body search. They were aware that he was just a lowly analyst and so were less thorough in their search. Since they found the Swiss Army knife the grunts were satisfied with the search and took a quick peek into his backpack. Chuck had placed the laptop on top of the Twilight Dart gun and none of the guards made any effort to move it aside when he asked if he could keep the computer.

"Can't do you any good now, but knock yourself out, " one of the guards replied ominously.

Those words made his stomach churn but at least he had the dart gun. All he had to do was sneakily remove it from his pack and get it to Casey or Sarah when nobody was looking. _"Piece of cake,"_ he sarcastically thought to himself as he noticed the numerous cameras and guards the team passed on their way to their intended destination. The bullet ridden walls didn't do much to put his mind at ease either, the blood having already dried upon it. These guys, whoever they were, weren't to be taken lightly.

None too gently the team were herded into a sterile room that housed a simple terminal setup. The only thing that immediately stood out to Chuck was a chair located right by the terminal that looked more at home at an optometrist's office than a spy base, especially with the stand where the patient would rest their head while the tests where done. The only thing that ruined the illusion was the high-tech retinal scanner situated in front.

"Boy, yet another all white room. I feel like I'm in the Matrix, " Chuck thought out loud.

Casey grunted. "Would've been nice having that long gun display, " he commented, stunning Chuck. Who knew that Colonel actually saw a movie that came out after 1992?

"With our luck it probably would have blindsided us when it popped out, " Sarah pointed out.

"_Wow, two for two with relevant references from the spy duo, "_ Chuck noted to himself. _"I'm so proud."_ "Getting hurt in the gun room? Now that's irony, " he joked out loud.

"But not as ironic as what I got in store Charlie," said a voice to their right. Everyone's attention immediately shifted to the voice's origin once the shock wore off, revealing it to be Anderson. Even Chuck's former handlers were taken off guard, which surprised Chuck. Nothing got past Sarah, ever.

"But I hate to ruin the surprise. What's life without a little suspense, eh Charlie?" he grinned at Chuck. "Don't you worry, the wait won't be long. " Turning to the man seated at the terminal, he asked, "Are we ready to begin?"

"Ready whenever you are sir, " came the response.

"Glad to hear it, " Anderson replied. "Now Agent Walker, I'm going to need you to take a seat."

"And why should I bother to do that?" Sarah asked him. "Even if I co-operate you're not getting access. I never had a high enough clearance to even know about this location and whatever access I had was revoked once I left the Intersect project. "

"That's simple enough to remedy, once we had access. It's surprising really how much access they had with the CIA's databases, even the staff roster. All we needed to do was change a 0 to a 1 and… viola! Your clearance is now at Omega level, " Anderson said as he spread his hands like he just pulled off a magic trick. "It's a good thing too since our first key into the more protected systems was… let's say we ran into some issues and in our good fortune you'd managed to come along Agent Walker. Creating a dummy account would have been more time consuming."

"Sounds like you got your ducks all lined up already. Why'd you need Walker still then?" Casey pointed out.

"It's the retina scans that are the issue Casey, " Sarah admitted. "After… after what happened with the first Intersect security was beefed up considerably. Several security measures were taken to limit who had access, which required getting copies our retinas and fingerprints, and even keeping track of our weight. "

Chuck frowned. "Really? Jeez, I know they want you in tip-top shape but that's crazy."

"I thought so at first; that was until I found out they put in a sensor weighting us while we gave our scans. The idea was to make sure that nothing got smuggled in, like a gun or a phone, while making sure nobody was coercing an operative with access into giving access, " she explained to him.

"I guess that makes sense if someone got you in a headlock and stuffed your head into the scanner, " he admitted. However, something about this news bothered him. He couldn't put his finger on what but it clearly disturbed Casey too since his patented scowl was out in full force.

He didn't have time to dwell on the thought though, his train of thought derailed by Shaw's appearance. "I see we haven't begun yet. I take it Walker is being uncooperative?" he asked Anderson in a manner that sounded almost eager to Chuck.

"More confused than anything else Daniel, but the day is young. Now Sarah, we're going to need you in the chair so be a dear and oblige us, " Anderson told her.

Her response came immediately. "Like hell."

"Well, can't say that was surprise. Any ideas on changing her mind Daniel?"

"I think I might have one sir, " Shaw said nonchalantly before he sprang into action. Moving faster than Casey thought possible, he grabbed Chuck's left arm and wrenched as hard as he could on Chuck's thumb. A strangled cry escaped his throat as the pain drove him to his knees, all the while Shaw kept a vice-like grip on his wrist, displaying the unnatural angle the thumb bent at. Sarah acting on instinct moved towards the cause of Chuck's pain, only to get a rifle butt to the kidneys for her efforts. The guard responsible for the blow darted out of arm's reach and levelled his weapon at Sarah in case she tried to assault his superior again. If looks could kill Sarah would have melted the man's head at that moment.

"Do control yourself Agent Walker. I have done no more than damage his favourite Nintendo thumb, and that, in my humble opinion, was owed to me, " he said triumphantly. Casey never figured him for a sore loser, but the gleeful way he was going about this painted him as a spited narcissistic out for revenge. He was acting all too invested in seeing Bartowski suffer.

Drawing a combat knife, he continued. "Now, Agent Walker, let's start again. Will you co-operate or…." He said as he lowered his knife over Chuck's index finger, "shall we escalate things?"

"You'll burn for this Shaw!" Sarah spat at him as lowered herself into the chair. "Let's get this over with." A technician moved over to her, lowering a futuristic visor over Sarah's head before moving back to the console. A few keystrokes and the machine started up with a quiet hum. Light seemed to wash over Sarah as the machine did its job, until it finished with a _ting_ that sounded like it should have come a kitchen timer rather than such a complex device. Moments later, the heavy blast doors unlocked and slide open with an audible hiss, followed by a second, a third and a fourth set of doors. Chuck, despite the pain he was in, could only wonder if whoever designed this place had watched too many episodes of _Get Smart_ before getting down to the drawing board.

As soon as the door sprung open Casey had the legs kicked from under him and handcuffs were roughly put on him wrists. Bags were placed on his and Chuck's heads to obscure their vision but he could still make out Anderson's words. "There's still more security measures, so we'll still require your co-operation. Do as we say and your team will be spared."

Sarah snorted at this. "Typical. Just because I'm blond you think I'm an idiot. We both know it's much easier to just kill us outright than let us live, especially since we can identify you later. "

"And how pray tell are you going to identify me? This face isn't in any databases, I know since my men are that diligent, and they can be changed all so easily these days. Plus all you have is an alias I can drop at any time," he said. "And an accent that's as real as a 75 pound note," he finished in an Australian accent. "'Sides, can you really afford not to take me at my word?"

Moments later Chuck was being dragged through the halls as his hand throbbed in pain. He wasn't sure where he was taken but it definitely wasn't in the same direction Casey was. The older man's angry voice, muffled as it was, had gotten more and more distant until it became inaudible. His only respite in all this was he still had the backpack in hand, clutching it like a lifeline in a storm. Not long after he was roughly shoved into a room and the door was locked behind him. Chuck assumed he was alone in this place where the fates would determine if he would live or die. At least, he thought he was alone at first. A groan from the corner of the room proved him wrong though, but the person who uttered it didn't say anything after.

"Hey, can you hear me?" he asked, only for the words to get muffled by the sack. "Well this is a nuisance," he thought to himself. He squirmed for a little until he found the closest wall, and managed to snag the bag on something before shaking it off. The room he was in was well lit, and appeared to be an archive of some sort. Rows and rows of magnetic tapes were stored here as far as the eye can see, each on those sliding shelve units you normally see in a reference library. The only thing that indicated that things weren't business as usual was the red emergency lights that lit the room instead of the usual florescent lights.

Another faint groan was heard, this time Chuck could determine that it came a couple of rows over. Determined to see who was in pain, he struggled to his feet with much difficulty, hampered by the pain shooting through his hand and the handcuffs that threw off his balance. On the fourth attempt he managed to get upright without toppling over and went to see if there was anything that could be done for his fellow prisoner. In the dim light he could see the figure wore a light dress, like the ones worn by the locals, but couldn't make out if the woman on the ground was familiar or not. Her face was littered with bruises and the smattering of dried blood, further obscuring its owner's identity.

Chuck bent down to check her pulse awkwardly with his left hand, thankfully finding a pulse. He was standing up when the woman's hand shot out, holding him in place. Despite her appearance her grip was surprisingly strong. "Who the hell are you?!" she exclaimed. She pulled Chuck into the light so she could see him better.

"Chuck Bartowski? What are you doing here?"

By now Chuck recognized the voice. "Jordan, holy..." he began, unable to find the right words to encapsulate his thoughts. Eventually he settled on, "crap what happened to you?"

She did her best to sit up, but in her state she made it part way up before slumping against the shelves. "Those, men... they... worked me over when I refused to help them. They kidnapped me not long after the police took Colonel Casey away. The man they called Anderson claimed they had my daughter but he refused me proof of life. So I attacked them." She went into a coughing fit and something came out of her mouth. Chuck hoped against hope it wasn't blood.

"Jeez. Try not to talk if you can. I remember my sister telling me that a person should avoid moving too much, and I assume that includes doing a lot of talking. I know, I know, I'm one to talk about, well talking too much but..." Chuck said before catching himself. "Sorry, I ramble when I'm nervous. I'll see what I can do but I'm afraid I don't know what I can do right now. My hands are tied, or rather those goons handcuffed me before they shoved me in here."

"It's okay Chuck, I don't blame you. They want us helpless and they were even more thorough about it with me," she said quietly as Chuck noticed her hands. He winced at the sight. It looked like they had had something heavy dropped on them several times.

_"Guess it's up to me then," _he thought to himself. Out loud he said, "Say, is there anything you remember from your training about getting out of handcuffs?"

Jordan frowned. She doubted Chuck could do anything in this predicament but she was desperate to try anything now. "I'm not sure. It's been a long time since training and I haven't been in the field for ages. I never took to the work like some people." She continued moments later. "I do remember something the ex-filtration instructor said. There are a couple of things to do in that situation. Can't remember what the first was but the other was a nasty one."

"What do you have to do?" Chuck said flatly. No matter what it was he was immediately ready to do it. There wasn't any way to know how long Sarah had before she was deemed expendable.

Jordan winced at the thought. "The operative in question would have to dislocate their thumb. The idea would be so that the bone could be moved around so that your hand out slip out. It's a risk, especially since you can break the thumb by accident or, in an inexperienced agent's case, black out and hit your head. Probably best not to try that though. Maybe someone managed to call the police before these people took over completely."

Chuck shook his head. "Even if that happened there's not going to be anyone coming to help anytime soon. Not with the riots breaking out now."

_"Now or never Chuck. Sarah's counting on you this time," _he thought to himself. He stood up, took the deepest breath he had ever taken and braced his throbbing thumb against the shelving unit's frame.

"Riots? Chuck what," Jordan began to say just as strangled noise came from Chuck. He'd bit down on his shirt to muffle his cry but this close it was hard to miss. His face had gone as white as a sheet in the interim. Jordan gasped but couldn't trust herself to speak at the moment, too shocked as she was at his action. After what felt like an eternity Chuck's breathing had returned to normal and he held his now freed right hand up in a sign of victory. He grabbed the right thumb again and more gingerly moved it back into position, this time the pain being less sharp than before.

"Guess Shaw didn't work my thumb over as badly as I thought," he said quietly, more to himself than to Jordan. "But it looks like I won't be holding an X-box controller for a while."

"Wait, Daniel Shaw hurt you? Chuck, what's going on?" Jordan said, having regained her wits.

"Well, long story short Shaw's our double agent, mole, whatever. He ambushed me, Sarah, and Casey when we came to investigate the power plant we're currently under since it turns out to be a really secret Intersect facility, " Chuck explained. "Also, he has a vendetta against Sarah and now me apparently so you might want to keep your distance from him."

"You… you're awfully blasé about this, considering the fact that he has over 10 years' experience at the spy game and you… well you don't exactly strike me as the dyed-in-the-wool killer type," Jordan pointed out.

"Trust me, if it wasn't for the excruciating pain I'm in I'd be freaking out a lot more," he explained to her. After making a makeshift splint with a couple of old USB sticks that lay half-forgotten in his bag and a piece of his shirt like Ellie taught him to, Chuck took the opportunity to take inventory of his backpack. The laptop was still intact but his Swiss Army knife was gone. The Twilight Dart gun was there too but he wanted to leave that as a last resort. He opened the laptop, and was not surprised at not finding a Wi-Fi signal either. He had known it was a long shot, but now he knew he couldn't access the local network. Unless….

"Hey Jordan, I'll be right back. I'm going to see if there's anything I can use to get help," he told her, getting a nod in response. He searched the area, but found nothing but rows of rows of the tapes. He was about to give up when he caught sight of something thin poking out from behind a damaged terminal sitting by the way. Upon closer inspection he discovered it was a stray Ethernet cable and made to pull it out. Halfway through the deed he found that the other end had gotten stuck on something. Thanks to his long fingers he was able to get it dislodged and even managed to pull the object out, discovering it to be a screwdriver.

"Talk about luck, " he whispered to himself and thanked the powers that be for looking out for him. Using his left hand, he managed to pry off the terminal side with the screwdriver to assess the damage inside. The motherboard was riddled with more holes than Swiss cheese and other parts were damaged as well, including the long Ethernet cable that connected the terminal up to the network. Using the laptop's screen for light, he noticed that the cable could be salvaged; he'd just need something sharp to get the job done.

He headed back to Jordan to tell her the plan, "... and now I just need something sharp," he finished. "Got any ideas on that?"

"I might, if you can find a way to avoid electrocuting yourself, " she said as she reached into her blouse. She fumbled in her bra for a moment before producing a pair of toenail clippers. "Here, I hid this before they frisked me. The file should do the trick."

"The file?" he asked as he pulled it out. The end was pointy and could easily be sharpened enough to get the job. "Funny, never thought about why they got paranoid about them at the airport until now. Thought they were just being nervous nellies."

"You'll be surprised what a person can use as a weapon, " Jordan said ominously. "Hey Chuck if you can... can you see if they have my little Ester? I hope they're lying but... I need to make certain."

"If I succeed it'll be a cinch. I'll have full access to the security systems."

"Thank you," she said before closing her eyes. Chuck was nervous for a moment but the sound of breathing signified that she'd just dropped off. How she could sleep at a time like this he wasn't sure, but knew for now there wasn't much else he could do except get on with his ramshackle plan. Grabbing the bag, Chuck headed back to the terminal and pulled out an old condom, which was thankfully unlubricated for the job, and pulled it over his hand. He could never remembered where he got it from, the thing was so old it could have been from Sanford or even high school! He'd never use it for it's original purpose now but it would work as a makeshift glove for the task at hand.

First he yanked the ruining Ethernet cable out of the wall and inspected it under the slightly better light. With clippers in hand he set to work splicing the ruined wire with the one he'd discovered recently. It was hard work considering the state his right hand was in but years of experience helped with the job. Finally when it was done, he said a quick prayer and plugged it into the laptop. Success! He was in, and nobody was the wiser.

With his new found digital freedom, Chuck focused on gaining access to the cameras. He scanned through all of the feeds looking for any familiar faces, and succeeded in finding Casey. There was no sign of a little girl anywhere thankfully, but from what he can tell Casey would be hard pressed to escape. This was a research centre but there were a few prison cells here like the ones in Castle. Even if he could get loose he'd need someone to let him out since the door would be magnetically sealed. Heck, even the door to the repository Chuck found himself in had the same sealed doors. He got a Flash on them to look for any weak points (thankfully that wasn't a corrupted Flash) but found none he could exploit from here. He'd need someone there physically to open them.

With him, and Casey under lock and key, the cavalry nowhere in sight, and Sarah in the bad guy's grasp, that left Chuck with only one option. He didn't want to go with this option, he wracked his brain for anything else but came up nothing. If he and his team, his family in a way, were to survive he would have to break his own rule about the spy stuff. He prayed that he wasn't doing the wrong thing and sent out a Skype call to Anna's phone.

A/N: As always, I'm always keen to get feedback.


	34. Chapter 34

A/N: Thanks goes out to everyone that left a comment. It's always good to hear from readers. And today's beta-reader is **garnetflint**. Give him a round of applause folks.

**Chapter 34**

Anna and Morgan sat on the hood of the nondescript cop car, talking quietly about optimal home theatre setups all the while keeping an eye out for anything out of the ordinary. Despite Sarah's warning about keeping quiet the two were eager to fill the void with chatter. It wasn't exactly nerves that made the quiet intolerable, nor was it the frustration that usually accompanied waiting without end in sight. It was the unknown, of what it was that could occur and the unease of how to deal with it. In the past, Morgan knew how to deal with danger: either you make a fast getaway or you weathered the hurt until it stopped, but now neither was feasible. There was no safe place to get to, no guarantee of mercy, and most importantly of all, it wasn't just his own hide he'd have to worry about. True, Anna was one of the gutsiest ladies he'd ever known, and a black belt to boot, but against armed mercenaries…

Morgan gave an involuntary shiver. That was one scary thought he didn't want to entertain. Common knowledge would dictate that he should face his fears but in this case he thought it best just to sidestep the issue and keep the both of them out of sight.

Anna cocked her head at him. "You getting cold Morgie? I wouldn't mind if we ducked into the car for a moment to get warmed up."

Drat, she noticed! Oh, why did all the ladies in his life have to be so eagle-eyed? "Nah, it's not that cold out, thanks for asking," he told her. "It's just that, well, things have gotten crazy so quickly. I keep hoping that things would blow over, yet somehow I doubt we'll get let off so lightly."

Anna shrugged. "Yeah, I hear you. I keep thinking this is a bad dream, I mean who the heck would want to bomb the crappiest highway in the world anyways? But when I think about it, I think we're probably best off being here out in the sticks. Hopefully Chuck and crew do whatever is it they came for and we can hunker down for a bit until everyone stops being crazy and those assholes that set those bombs get caught. Casey's a military guy with guns up the wazoo and Sarah's no slouch in a fight either, so between all of us we should be alright."

Morgan nodded at the logic. Of course it all hinged on the three getting back in one piece but… ah frak it. He needed to help keep her spirits up as much as she did with him. Now's not the time to be Mister Frowny Face. "You know, you make a good point. With Chuck with them, there's no way any bad guys will get the upper hand. They'd be unstoppable!"

"There you go. The jerks only win if you let them get you down, " she said grinning to him. She was about to continue when the flash of something caught her eye. Turn to face if she noticed it was actually a pair of moving lights in the distance, slowly gaining in size as it moved towards them. It stopped a ways away but they didn't disappear. Had to be headlights. "Hey Morgan, you see that?"

"Yeah, cars I think. I can't say for certain but I think there's two of them, " he replied.

"Funny, I thought it was one." Anna chewed on her bottom lip like she did subconsciously when she had to think on the spot. She didn't do it that much these days since her mom thought it a bad habit, but when things got hectic, well, certain things fell by the wayside. "You think it's trouble? I mean, I know they're not coming closer but I can't help but get antsy."

"Don't know, but I'm willing to find out. Like Ellie always says, 'What you don't know CAN hurt you'. Well, she was talking about spotting poison ivy at the time but the point applies here too. "

Anna nodded at this but stopped as soon as his words sank it. "Wait, you'll go? Morgan honey, I love you but…" she stopped to think of the nicest way to finish her thought.

Thankfully, he voiced her concerns himself. "Yeah, yeah, I know I'm a coward through and through. Known it all my life, but today I think that'll come in handy. I know how to stay out sight and I know when to make myself scarce. Plus you don't have to worry about that pesky machismo causing me to do something dumb like trying to rush a guy with a gun."

_"And I don't have to worry about you getting hurt"_, he thought to himself. He'd never voice that point out loud, not wanting to suggest that his lady was anything resembling helpless.

"You're just expecting me to just sit here like a bump on a log while you rush off into danger?"

Morgan shrugged, trying his best to be nonchalant (and not exactly succeeding). "Nope, you're my getaway driver in case things go sour. 'Cuz, you know, I like being 100% bullet free and you're totally better at handling neck-breaking speeds behind the wheel."

"Makes sense. I'm not the one that wussed out of L.A. rush hour for so long," she said jokingly before going serious. "Shit, I still think it should be me going out there but I know you've always been the sneakier out of the two of us. But if you're heading out there, promise me that you won't get too close. I'd totally get bummed out if you got hurt because of me."

"Don't worry, heroics are more of Chuck's thing than mine," he said as he took the binoculars from Anna. He was tempted to say something witty, heck if there was a time to bust out a one-liner outside of the movies this moment was up there, but it didn't feel right. His courage wasn't rock steady to begin with and to treat this as a big joke would be an insult to the turmoil Anna was bound to have. Instead, he settled for taking her hand in his and brushing his lips against hers. "Wish me luck," he finally got out before disappearing into the darkness.

Morgan headed through the bush quietly, trying his best not to step on any twigs or snap any branches in his way. It was maddening work managing all that and making progress, and he marvelled at how someone like Casey, who was much bigger and burlier than he could ever be, could manage the task. If war was even remotely as terrifying as this was, he was glad he never lived in a time where conscription was necessary. As he made way through he spotted a hill in the distance that would make a good place to get the lay of the land. After saying thanks to the powers that be, he ducked behind a tree before sinking to the ground. He wasn't Rambo but Morgan knew that crawling in the dirt was much better than making yourself a bigger target, even in the dark.

Minutes later, Morgan found himself on top of the hill will a handy dandy rock nearby he could snuggle up to hide his shape. Unless these guys had _Splinter Cell_ calibre night vision goggles there were no way that they'd think someone was watching them. Morgan took the binoculars out and pointed them at the cars. Thankfully the moon full tonight, so light wasn't a problem. The vehicles turned out to be two police cars, each of them turned to face the trees so that they'd act as makeshift barriers. The cops were in the middle of setting up roadblocks for whatever reason and one of them was carrying a rolled up bundle of some sort to the side. By the time he focused on it the roll was in the shadows.

"Guess it wasn't bad guys after all, " he murmured to himself, and he could feel the tension just fade away. It was funny that they'd bother setting up shop out here in the middle of nowhere, especially when the action was closer to town, but at least they weren't bloodthirsty killers out to add Chuck and the others to their kill stream. He was debating whether to ask them for help or not when another set of headlights came up, this time it definitely wasn't a cop car. No self-respecting lawman (or lady) would be caught dead driving one of those dinky Smart cars his mother was so enamoured with. He decided to sit still for now and see what happened, gauge whether these guys were cool or the major assholes that were too common back in L.A. The car came to a stop not that far from the cops, and a woman popped out without even bothering to kill the engine first. Needless to say she must have been frantic.

Morgan strained to hear what the woman was saying to the cops, being too far to hear her clearly. The cop closed to her said something in response, pointing in the opposite direction while he said the words. Whatever it wasn't what she wanted to her, and she shrieked, so loudly that even Mr. Magoo could hear her say, "Why the fuck won't you help me?! My husband's dying here!" So they were turning her back? Morgan shook his head in disbelief. Weren't cops supposed to help in an emergency? The cop replied one more time, and the woman got in his face.

What happened next shocked Morgan to his core. The other cop took out his pistol and wordlessly shot her right in the head before moving towards the car. Transfixed by the sudden violence Morgan watched as he raised his pistol again, this time pointing at the car and fired twice more. The gunfire was too soft for his ears and he looked closer at the gun, spotting a large cylinder jutting out of the barrel.

Morgan gasped. It was a silencer, like what spies and their ilk used in the various movies and video games he couldn't remember at the moment. These guys were frauds! Bad guys posing as the cavalry, obviously up to no good. "This is bad, really bad," he whispered to himself as he began crawling back towards the safety of the woods. When he was far away enough he tried calling the cops but the lines were all jammed up, 911 was the same. Not even Mal was picking up due to the chaos of the night. They were alone out here, and if these guys were any good, they'd probably have people out there to clean out any strangler like him and Anna. Then it dawned on him that she'd shared the same fate as the woman back there. _"Anna!"_

Abandoning stealth, Morgan ran through the woods, letting the branches scratch away at his face as he dash like the devil himself was after him. After what felt like an eternity, he found himself back at the clear he left Anna at. He stood there panting while he looked around for her, and found her crouched on the car's roof looking ready to pounce. Once she saw it was him, she slide off and joined him. "Morgan, what the hell happened? Are you being chased?"

"Not yet," he got out between pants, "but that can change anytime." He gave her the abridged version, and she went pale.

"Well, we can certainly say that the crap hit the fan now," Anna said. "I'll get the text out to Chuck and we're out of here. " She tapped at her phone for a moment but was perplexed when the message went out. "Phone cannot be found? The hell?" She tried a few more times, getting the same message each time. Shouldn't it be a 'this number cannot be reached' message? "Okay, things are definitely hinky now. It's time to bring the boys in blue in."

"I've tried. Everyone got the lines all tied up with, well, everything tonight."

"Well, looks like we got to do it in person then. I know we said we'd give Sarah and Casey more time, but at this rate they'll be sneak attacked. Us too if we don't shake a leg," Anna told him.

"I'm afraid that's ship already sailed honeybunch," Morgan said dishearteningly as he pointed her attention to the opposite direction. Several sets of headlights appeared in the gloom, growing closer by the moment. Out of instinct they both ducked down behind the car, wishing the cars would stop coming closer and not succeeding. Just then Anna's phone sprung to life playing Black Sabbath's "Mob Rules", scarring the ever loving crap out of the both of them. In what felt like an eternity, Anna yanked her phone out and hit the "Accept Call" button on her phone without even looking a the display.

"Listen, I don't know who this is but..." she whispered into the phone just before getting cut off.

"Anna, thank the Force!" Chuck's distressed voice. "I thought you wouldn't pick up! They took my phone and I had to jury rig access the internet, and since my number wouldn't come up I was afraid you'd just ignore it."

"Cause I've been screening my calls since Jerk-face the Third busted out of prison, " she finished. A moment of clarity came over her as she grabbed her headset out of her purse and plopped it on her head. "Sorry, just switched over to Bluetooth. So Chuck, hate to say it but we're a bit boned over here, don't know if we're going to be any help," she said before giving the abridged version of what happened.

"Jeez, that's... well, awful. I got some bad news too. We've been captured. Casey's been tossed in a cell, Sarah's being coerced into helping these guys and I've in some sort of Archives rooms. It looks like there wasn't enough cells to go around which is why I'm here. I do have one speck of good news. I was able to get into the security systems and they don't have a clue."

"How'd you manage that?"

"I found a live network cable and I spliced it with a spare Ethernet cable I scrounged up. And since I'm already on the network gaining access was a snap," Chuck said matter of fact.

Anna shook her head, "I don't know all of the details, but Chuck somehow managed to hack into a super-secret spy base like it ain't no thang," she told Morgan.

"Are you really surprised?" Morgan told her. "This is Chuck we're talking about, the Re-animator of dead electronics himself. These guys don't know the first thing about who they're dealing with."

"Well, color me surprised Chuck. How did you get access? You made it sound like you didn't even break a sweat."

"Actually... I was handcuffed originally and I got loose by dislocating my thumb. Picked it up from the spy stuff. Wasn't pleasant, I tell you that," he said before pausing for effect and was rewarded by a low whistle from Anna. If anyone could respect sacrificing a few weeks of being able to hold a controller to get out a bind it was her.

"Damn, you're more hardcore than I thought. So, what's your next step? Think you can help us out" she asked him with a hint of panic.

"I think so, but you're not going to like it. Heck I don't even like it but I got nothing else," he admitted to her.

"Just lay it on me Chuck."

"I'm going to need you guys to come into the base and spring Casey. I can't do it here, since it's opens manually only and Sara's got about... 10 guys with machine guns trained on her right now. I've got access to the cameras so I can keep you away from any baddies, and once he's out I can find you guys a good hidey hole while things get wrapped up," he said quickly, as if Anna's attention span was on a timer.

Anna grimaced at the idea. "Chuck wants us to go into the base," she told Morgan.

"And you hate it. Ordinarily I'd hate it too, but I hate the idea of getting shot even worst. Well, at least it's the last place they'd expect us to go, and you know my Buy More motto, 'out of sight is best'".

"Okay, you've sold us on this stupid, no good plan of yours. We got to move soon-ish if we're going to avoid trigger happy assholes," she hissed into the headset.

"Alright, there's an alternate entrance not far from you. Since we've been caught there's nobody guarding it, and they didn't bother to booby-trap it either. Oh, and see if there's any guns left in the trunk," Chuck told her.

"Why? Neither of us ever fired a real one before," Anna pointed out.

"It's for Casey, " he answered.

"Makes sense. He loves guns like Big Mike loves fishing and sangria. I bet he needs a good pick-me-up after being captured by bad guys, " Morgan added. "Oh, and the whole self-defence thing."

Before leaving, Anna and Morgan found a can of mace in the glove box and a gun case in the trunk. The lock that kept it closed lay discarded by the side of the trunk and they were able to find a shotgun with a box of ammo for it. Anna tossed the mace and the box of shells in her purse while Morgan slung the gun on his back, preferring it over holding it in case they got spotted.

Once the duo was at the door, Chuck gave Anna the access code and it slide open, making a hissing sound like something out of a science fiction movie. Morgan poked his head in and looked around. For a super-duper secret spy base it was… bland. For all of the hullabaloo everyone was making about it, he'd expected something more than a set of hallways you could find in any office building. On the bright side, there wasn't a soul in sight. "Coast is clear, let head on in, " Morgan told her.

"Alright, I'll talk you guys through this. The goons inside are well trained so they'll stick to a predictable patrol pattern," Chuck told them. "But they're still human, which means there's a chance that they'll break that pattern."

"Like stopping for a smoke or something, right?" Anna whispered back. "What do we do if that happens?"

"Well, I think your best bet is to hide since it makes less of a racket and less of a mess to clean up. I'll keep an eye out for any hiding spots but be sure to look around too. If it looks like someone's coming towards you I'll just say 'pineapple' and the direction, and you head the other way. "

"You got that baby?" Anna asked Morgan as he was listening in beside her.

"Yup. Hear the old Buy More shoplifter code and we make like Emmett looking for puke cleanup volunteers," he reiterated. "Just wish I had a cardboard box nearby. Nothing beats it for an instant hiding spot."

Slowly creeping through the halls, the two were uncharacteristically quiet. There was no telling what lay around the next corner and the acoustics of the place made even the slightest of shoe scuffles echo for what seemed an eternity, making their paranoia increase three fold. Thankfully, Chuck was on top of surveillance and managed to get them through without any trouble. When they neared the staff kitchen (which baffled Anna to no end with its normality), he had them wait inside until a patrol went by. To avoid drawing attention, Anna closed the door and Chuck had her leave the lights on instead of following her instinct to hide in the dark.

"It keeps things consistent," he explained to her. "If the guy went by before, he'll wonder why the lights are off and might come investigate."

So Anna and Morgan huddled beside a nearby fridge out of sight while they waited for Chuck to give them the "all clear".

Bored with waiting, she whispered over the hum of the fridge, "Hey Morgan, is it just me or does this place seem extra boring to you? With the secrecy and the tech on the side door you'd think there'd more going on than Government Bland-chic."

"I know what you mean, " he whispered back. "Where's the hand scanners, the cyborg attack dog-shark hybrids and the deadly, deadly lasers? Sheesh, it's no wonder the bad guys were able to take over so easy."

"Actually, it's supposed to be understated you guys," Chuck chimed in. "The idea was that it was supposed to blend in and not draw any attention so nobody would disturb things. Plus the CIA couldn't afford to bolster security that much after Casey had to pump about $50 million worth of drugs into Tyler Martin." After a moment, Chuck realized his snafu but it was too late.

"So it WAS you that was in those pictures with that lame rock star cliché," Anna whispered to him. "Wait, why did Casey have to drug him anyways, and why do you know? I thought you were strictly R&D."

"Well, let's just say that they saw other uses for my skills in fieldwork and leave it that. It wasn't often but it did come up," he quickly told them. "Oh, and never, ever mention this to anyone, not Sarah, Casey and not even to each other. Scary things can happen," he ended cryptically.

"Yeah, I had the feeling you weren't just doing the code monkey thing, " Morgan told him. "You showed up to work too often smelling like smoke and pool cleaner, and your dad would have had a cow if he knew you were going to mess up the RIOS conference. He'd rather go a year without watching Tron rather than let you make such a spectacular ass out of yourself. And then there was all that weird stuff Bryce told me."

"Wait, what did Bryce tell you?" Chuck asked quickly. Normally Bryce was as secretive as the Smoking Man himself, but considering how badly the Flashes had affected him, it was possible that he said some things he shouldn't have. Maybe he forgot who he was talking to, or he didn't realize how sever the consequences would be. Without having a doctor take a look at him there was no way to determine what was going through his head now. But before he could get a response the camera feeds picked up several men coming towards the kitchen, some with brown paper bags in hand.

"Guys, it's time to make yourselves scarce, " he said as calmly as possible. "Can't believe I'm saying this but apparently they get lunch breaks. They're heading over to the kitchen now."

"Great, just great, "Anna said sarcastically. "Alright Chuck, lead the way. Which way should we head?"

"Give me a sec," he replied as he quickly scanned through the nearby cam feeds. "Oh, not good. You got patrols coming through going the other direction. There's no way to avoid them!"

Morgan felt his knees quiver at this and he looked skyward in hopes of hiding his fear from Anna. As he scanned the ceiling he noticed something. "Guys, one of the ceiling tiles are loose!" he whispered. "It's the one over the sink! We can get out that way, just like with the Large Mart raid of '07."

"Really? That's great news. Okay… once you get in there head north. That'll lead you to the staff locker room and puts you near the cells," Chuck replied. "Just be careful, I don't have eyes up there."

"Oh, I hope I won't fall through. I put on a few pounds since then, " Anna moaned, more to herself than anyone listening. With Morgan's help she was able to easily get the tile loose and she gave him a boost up before crawling inside herself. After sliding the tile back into position her hand nudged against a plastic sandwich bag which she grabbed on a whim. The familiar smell of marijuana instantly filled her nose and she showed Morgan the unexpected prize in the dim light. "Looks like I found why the tile was loose. Somebody couldn't wait for 4:20 to roll around," she whispered to him.

"And people say I push my luck too much. At least I never rolled joints in a government building, " he whispered back. "Better leave it. Who knows if there are guard dogs or something that can smell the stuff? Plus Casey would probably be royally PO'd if he smelled it on you. Old Ronnie Regan is his hero after all."

"Good point," Anna said as she stuffed the baggie to the side. Last thing she wanted to do was revisit the War on Drugs with Major Hard-ass (promotion or not, it had a better ring to it than Colonel Hard-ass).

The two crawled in silence for a moment, unsure if they were even going the right way in this glorified tin can. For the umpteenth time in her life, Anna was thankful that claustrophobia wasn't one of her weaknesses. Combined with the gloom the tight space would have been the closest to hell she could imagine without Pet Shop Boys on repeat 24/7. Thankfully, the sound of running water could be heard, confirming that they were on their way to the locker rooms. When the sound got closer, Morgan insisted on hoping out a little ways away to ensure they didn't run into whoever was using the water and they found a vent to exit out of moments later. Despite their efforts at being careful, the vent cover dropped to the ground with a loud clang. Morgan held his breath, expecting a legion of stormtroopers to come rushing in, but relaxed seconds later when nothing happened.

"Guess we lucked out, " Morgan whispered to her. "I'll hop out first so I can help you get down."

After successfully lowering themselves to the ground (and removing several months' worth of accumulated dust bunnies off themselves), they took stock of the locker room. Rows of lockers lay out, and there was a bathroom nearby. A rucksack lay unattended on a bench near the bathroom where the sound of running water came from, or rather what they'd mistaken for water.

Morgan opted to stuff the vent cover in an unlocked locker just as Anna neared the bathroom section. "Oh gross, one of the goons is using the can, and he's going for over a minute already. Jeez, it's like he's been drinking coffee non-stop for an hour," she whispered to him.

"Speaking from experience Anna?" Chuck joked with her, and she almost jumped when he did. Chuck had been quiet for so long she'd forgotten she had the headset on still.

"Sometimes you just got to burn the midnight oil," she replied. "So, as you can tell from the charming ambiance we've reached the locker room. Where to now Chucks-a-hoy?"

"Give me a sec.. oh you're almost there. The way's clear but that can change any moment. Better mosey now while you can."

"Sure thing." To Morgan she said, "Good news, we're almost there." And then she noticed what he had in hand. "Morgan, are you sure it's a good idea walking off with that?"

"Hmm… alright, probably not. But I'll see if there's anything worth taking, " he said before opening up the rucksack. Inside all he could find was several blocks of something that felt almost doughy to the touch. He took one out and showed it to Anna. "Any idea what this is?"

She shrugged. "Not a clue, but you might as well take one. Maybe Casey has an idea what this junk is," she said as she stuffed it in her ever expanding purse. She smiled at the thought that the beast of a purse her mother chided her for getting was really coming in handy now.

After walking on tip-toes the rest of the way, the unlikely duo found themselves in front of a series of rooms. Each had clear doors and was about the size of a broom closet. The only thing inside each were old and dusty looking cots and a toilet. For whatever reason, whether out of oversight or cruelty, there weren't sinks.

"Okay, you'll find Casey in the last cell. Each of these cells has a release mechanism that you have pull out, twist and push back in to open. Normally you'd need an access card to swipe in as well, but I'll be able to disable it on my end," Chuck explained to them.

"Neat, though it's a bit excessive in my humble opinion. What's wrong with a good old lock and key?" Anna pointed out.

"I guess they're being paranoid. Infiltrators are supposed to be escape artists so they'd probably want something that couldn't get lockpicked," Chuck told her. Thanks to an earlier Flash he knew this as a fact, but he figured acting too knowledgeable about the system would be suspicious. What he did fest up to knowing could be chalked up to finding some obscure documentation sitting on a folder on the network. "Hey guys, before I forget I just want to say thanks for doing this. I know being tossed into the deep end of this secret stuff isn't pleasant and I just wanted you to know how much I appreciate that you've offered to help anyways."

"Don't worry about it man, " Morgan said. "You've always got my back and now it's time I did the same. "

"Now that's loyalty, " Anna added. "Can't say I wouldn't do the same, even if you didn't factor in getting back at those ass-hats that tried to blow us all up. You're a solid dude and Sarah's kind of cool once she opens up to you, so I'd totally be in for lending a hand. Speaking of which, once this is all over could you convince her to get me one of those exploding cigars she mentioned earlier? I have this idea and…"

"I'll see what I can do, " Chuck laughed. Knowing Anna sometimes it was better to be surprised by her next project. "Oh, one more thing. Casey's like a wild bear that's just been caged so you might want to stand back once you let him out."

"Funny, I always thought he was as eloquent as one," Anna quipped. "Talk to you soon."

Casey cursed to himself as he straightened his back out, the cracking of vertebrae piercing the silence. He wasn't as young as he once was and the cot didn't do any favours on much abused body. He didn't want to admit it but he was getting soft. It wasn't that long ago that a cot and a crapper could be considered luxurious. "All this civie living is getting to me," he uttered to himself. It had to be. True, he was past the average age that most operatives lasted until but he still in the prime of his life. Those suits that said otherwise could get stuffed for all he cared.

His thoughts were disturbed when he heard voices. The walls muffled the sound but he had to hazard a guess it was a man and a woman standing not far from his cell. Whether it was another prisoner or some VIP he couldn't tell, but if he had to guess it probably was the later. Help wasn't coming and it was usually men that signed up for these mercenary groups. Female contractors tended to prefer working alone to avoid the machismo and politics that came with the membership. He hopped on top of the cot to get whatever vantage point he could get and waited for them. Unless there was a camera in here he missed there was no way they'd know that he got the cuffs off already, and could easily ambush them now.

The cell door hissed open and Casey waited for the guard to come in. When none came he anticipated them to order him out and after a minute of waiting he realized that wasn't going to happen either. So they did know he was loose and was waiting for him to make the first move. Too bad for them his hearing was excellent and he could hear the sound of breathing coming from the right. Well, if they were hoping to catch him off guard they were in for a surprise. In an instant he rushed out of the door hoping to throw them off balance, and swing as he lunged to his right.

"Hi Cas… epp!"

Morgan had just ducked under the older man's punch just a split second before impact, and danced away with both hands open. "Hey, hold up, it's us!" he shouted louder than he should have.

Casey just stood there dumbfound, almost unsure that he just saw a wild Morgan Grimes appear before him instead of a guard. "Grimes, what the hell are you doing here?!" he growled, more out of surprise than real animosity.

"We've come to spring you big guy, " Anna told him coolly.

"_Looks like they're a package deal now. You get one and the other follows,"_ Casey thought to himself. Out loud he said, "I can see that, but how'd you know to even come? Hell, how did you evade the guards? They'd be using standard patrol patterns, the kind that amateurs can't evade without help."

"Who said we didn't have help? Chuck managed to get into the local systems and was able to Skype me on my phone, " she explained.

"Yeah, and he got access to security cams too. Really came in handy with the guards milling about. Oh, and for helping to get around too. Man, everything looks alike here. It's easy to get lost in than a hedge maze!" Morgan added.

"Really. Bartowski managed to do all this while under lock and key, " Casey said skeptically. "Sounds too good to be true."

"What, you think we're pulling your leg? Jeez, just talk to him if you think we're full of shit, " Anna said before thrusting the headset into Casey's hands. Still unsure whether to believe the duo or not, he put the headset on.

"Hello?"

"Casey, oh wow, it's great to hear your. Did the goons rough you up?" came Bartowski's normal rapid-fire speech. For once, good luck _wasn't _too good to believe. A rarity in a field where coincidences usually turned out to be ill omens.

"Bartowski, I'm not one to look a gift horse in the mouth but how the hell are you doing any of this?" he asked.

"Well, I'll give you the Cliff Notes version, " Chuck said before giving him a recap. Casey had to shake his head at the stupidity of the guard for leaving the backpack with him but he marvelled at how Bartowski was able to slip his restraints. When they first met he was certain the nerd didn't have the resolve to purposely hurt himself to escape but today he was glad to be proven wrong. He'd never tell him but Casey was impressed at how he engineered his release, even if it involved the slacker twins.

"So, what's the situation with Walker? I know she'd be the first one you'd spring if you could so I know it must be bad," Casey told him, all business as usual.

Chuck was hurt. "You wound me big guy. There's no way I'd just leave you rotting in a cell,," he said. "But yeah, it's not looking very good. They got her strapped to another one of those sensor chairs and she got a whole firing squad covering her. There's only one entrance into the place and the blueprints I've found show that it's built like a panic room. It has its own air recycler unit so there's no vents going in, and it can go into lock-down mode. However I think I found some good new. If it does go into lock-down mode all data flow is immediately stopped as a precaution against any invaders being able to intercept important data, and since these guys are here to steal data..."

"They're going to want to stay open as long as possible," Casey finished. "Good work Bartowski." He paused for a moment, considering his actions. "For now let's get Wu and Grimes over to where you are. It's the last place they'd check."

"Ready to get rid of Casey?" Anna asked in mock surprise.

"Nah, he's probably got to go be all sneaky right now. Trust me, it's easier being unseen when there's less people around, " Morgan answered.

"Sorry Casey. It's not a bad idea but... ah! Yeah, there's too many guards milling around the corridors by the archives, " Chuck told him.

Casey grunted. "Not in the mood for babysitting right now Bartowski. If they're sticking around they're going to have to make themselves useful. I'm going to need to create a distraction, so they better not get underfoot."

"Perfect! Didn't you used to say Anna and Morgan was the most distracting force you ever encountered?"

"...Good point."

Casey turned to face the former Buy-Morians. "I'm going to need to make a lot of racket in order to spring Walker. Do you two have anything useful I can use?"

"Oh, right, yeah we do. Here you go big guy, " Morgan said as he slung the shotgun off his back and handed it to him. Anna pulled a box of shells out and handed it to Casey as well. He opened it and inspected the ammo. Damn, nothing but rubber slugs! It was better than nothing but it wouldn't permanently neutralize any hostiles.

"And we managed to steal this from a guy on the can, " Anna added as she pulled the weird block from her purse. It was wrapped in paper but didn't have any markings on it. Casey pulled a corner off and smiled.

"C4, wonders never cease. Did you manage to get any detonators for it?" he asked giddily.

"Sorry Casey, that was all the guy had on him," Morgan said sadly.

"Wait, that was plastic explosives I was hauling around?" Anna questioned him. "Hot damn, that's awesome! I always wanted to learn how to use the stuff?"

"What the hell for? You're not planning on blowing up someone's car are you?!" Casey growled.

"No way man, I'm not stupid!" Anna said indignantly. "It's for my dream of doing the pyro for Wrestling Death Matches in Japan. Ever since I caught The Kind of the Death Match PPV of '95 I've always wanted to try my hand at shaped charges. You do it right and you can get the explosions to go off right above the wrestlers' heads!"

Casey shook his head again. That definitely was in Wu's wheelhouse (and sounded pretty awesome to himself). "Alright, I'll give you a crash course on how the stuff works, but I better not catch you looking to score some from any arms dealers. If you try, I WILL find out," he said as he gave her his best death glare. For once it worked as she shrank back.

He continued. "Alright, so C4 doesn't detonate so easily like say TNT does. You can burn or shoot the stuff and it won't go off, which is why it became popular with operatives. To set it off, you'd need the detonator armed and inserted into the block, so that it can cause a small scale explosion to cause a chemical reaction. Something to do with molecule bounds, though the science escapes me."

"So it sounds like we need to cause an explosion to happen, even a tiny one," Anna concluded.

"That's right. I remember one time using cordite to get the job done on a mission but I had a lot to work with then. I can get the powder out of the shotgun shells but there's no way I can set it off without blowing myself up. I'm going to need something to set it off from far enough away so I can get outside the blast radius, like a fuse."

Morgan followed the conversation, trying to picture what needed to be done. So unless they found a long string or rope, they couldn't cause that block of explosives to go off. They needed to ignite the powder somehow. His stomach growled and he wished he had something to pacify the beast with, even if it was microwave burrito. And to be safe you'd need to... wait that's it!

"Guys, I just got a great idea," he said grinning from ear to ear. The effect did the impossible: it made Casey nervous. The gnome was a walking calamity, and now he was turning that destructive force for good.

A/N: Yup, Twilight Darts are super expensive. Why else wouldn't a magic dart that easily incapacitates their target and leaves them with large memory gaps afterwards be standard issue?

Once again, reviews are encouraged and welcomed.


	35. Chapter 35

A/N: Remember kids, don't do Morgan's trick at home unless you want to burn down your house. And give a round of applause to **garnetflint** for doing the beta on this chapter.

**Chapter 35**

Casey found himself in the pantry shaking his head with disbelief. Grime's idea was bizarre, ludicrous even, but he couldn't deny that the gnome had something that could work. "So we use a microwave, " he said bluntly.

"Exactly!" Morgan exclaimed. "Well, a microwave and tin foil. I remember one time I tried to nuke a burrito when I was 10 and forgot to take the wrapping off. I stepped away to use the can and when I came back it was on fire! Boy, my mom was royally cheesed at the time and I never forgot to be careful about putting foil in ever since. "

"Yeah, that could work we could put some of the gunpowder in a ball of foil, put it on top of the C4 and kaboom!" Anna said excitedly. "Oh, better put some powder on the block too just in case."

Casey gave grunt #17, which to those versed in Casey Grunt© meant "Hold your horses!"

"That's all good and all, but we still have the issue about blast radius," he pointed out. "With this amount of C4 you're going need to be one hell of a runner to get clear before it goes off, and I doubt any of us are quick enough to turn the damn thing on and get clear in time. Only other option is to somehow get the microwave to start by itself."

"I might have a way to do that, " Chuck said through the headset. "I've rigged microwaves to turn on as soon as you plug them in before. Tried it once on Ellie on Halloween when I was 16 and she flipped out. She thought it was possessed!" he said chuckling at the memory. This was after they'd watched _Poltergeist_ at his insistence and, knowing his sister, Ellie was still creeped out. "It's not that hard to set up actually. Pass me over to Anna and I can walk her through it."

"Wu, you're up," Casey said as he handed the headset back to Anna. "Bartowski's going to talk you through modifying the oven while me and your boy-toy saw these shells open. The bread knives they got back here ought to do the job as long as someone's nose doesn't get twitchy."

"Jeez, you sneeze chili powder all over one time and they never let you forget it. If you're that paranoid about me why have me help?" Morgan asked skeptically.

"Because like Bartowski demonstrated time and again, idle hands are a sure-fire way to cock up an operation. And believe me, nothing gets me angry like a job gone sideways."

"And getting your paint job scratched up," Anna chimed in.

Morgan was mortified she brought that up, realizing her need to exasperate authority figures had gone too far. "Hypothetically speaking of course," he added hurriedly. "That's not something you joke about sweetums. Some people, Casey included, get protective of their rides like it was a case of Crystal Pepsi, and they CERTAINLY wouldn't appreciate even hinting at hurting their treasure. Let's just get to work, waste not want not, especially with time, and that's what we don't have much of. So let's get to it guys!"

Chuck was happy that his buddy prevented the wraith of Casey, having experienced a mild version for blowing his original Crown Vic up two years prior. Working faster than expected, the unlikely team had finished their little project in record time. The gunpowder that was extracted was placed on top of some napkins and then into a now balled up bunch of tinfoil. Casey wanted to make sure that the powder came into direct contact with a flame, thus the paper napkins factored in. Thankfully, an extra-long extension cord lay in the supply closet, solving the issue of getting out of the blast radius. Once everything was done, it came time to set the plan into motion.

"So, why are we putting this bad boy by the secret entrance?" Morgan asked as he unspoiled the cord.

"Looks like your hearing needs to be checked. I hate repeating myself but I hate losing our advantage to your ignorance more, " Casey griped. "It's to fool these goons into thinking someone is trying to breach the side entrance from the outside. Thanks to Bartowski mucking up the camera feeds, they'll think they're under attack and that means they'll have to pull most of the guards to mount a counter-attack."

"Oh, I get it now. Once everyone's scrambling around we can grab Sarah without as much fuss, or bullets flying towards us," Morgan said.

"Works for me, " Anna chimed in. She was busy arranging the C4 and the improvised tinfoil detonator together in the microwave. "Okay, I think we're good to go. This is an older model so we don't have to worry about the tray rotating and causing the block to roll away. Just plug her in and we're good to go."

The trio ducked into an abandoned office in a remote section of the base just as Casey plugged the other end of the extension cord in. He stood peering out of the door while Anna and Morgan huddled underneath the desk just in case the explosion was larger than what was predicted. He stood there waiting to see what would occur, yet nothing happened. And just like that, the silence was broken. A loud BOOM erupted and seemed to reverberate throughout the building followed by the wail of klaxons. It was louder than the movies would have you believe, and Anna was thrilled with the results. She got to her feet and snuck a peak outside, seeing the carnage. The doors themselves held but the walls of the surrounding rooms where gone.

"Definitely better than an M-80," she whispered to herself, and wondered how she could get the chance to play around with the stuff in the future.

"When I give the signal we're moving out, " Casey whispered to them. "You two stay behind me, close but not crowding me. You follow my lead and we might be able to see another sunrise." They stood there a moment waiting for various guards to go rushing by. As soon as Chuck gave the go ahead, off they went into the hallway.

With Chuck's direction they found themselves just outside the doors where Sarah had been lead into. Casey was grateful that the nerd has access to the building's layout for the umpteenth time. The uniform appearance of the hallways coupled with the distortion that came from having a bag on your head followed with a punch to the face had played havoc on his usually infallible sense of direction and Casey knew that they didn't have time to spare wandering the hallways. The racket they kicked up was sure to cause Anderson's men to go on the defensive and that would entail them checking up on their prisoners. Needless to say, whatever advantages they had now would evaporate if they discovered Chuck had slipped his bonds or Casey had been let loose.

"Grimes, Wu, you got anything reflective on you?" Casey asked quietly. "Anything would do, even an iPhone's backing could do the job."

"Sorry big guy. Just got my ancient flip phone," Morgan said sadly.

Anna grunted. "And I got an Android phone. They got plastic backs, so they're not shiny. But I do have something that ought to work." Working quickly, she fished around in her monstrous purse and to Casey's surprise pulled out a compact mirror. The last thing he'd expect the self-proclaimed punk to carry was something so… feminine, but he kept that to himself. No time for banter now.

"Thanks Wu. I'll have it back to you in a moment." Using the mirror, Casey angled it to survey the room. There were two guards left in the room, both armed with MP10 SMGs, standing by where they'd had Walker strapped down. The chair she was in wasn't designed to restrain a person, so they opted to duct tape her to it instead. All three were out of close battle range and he wanted to avoid firing the shotgun if he could avoid it.

Casey handed the mirror back to Anna before briefing them. "We got two hostiles inside watching Walker. I can take them but we to draw them out, otherwise we expose our position to the unfriendlies. Grimes, you poke your head out for a moment, just enough for them to see your hairy mug, and duck back. I'll take care of the rest. "

"Decoy duty huh? I can pull that off easily," Morgan said.

"And what am I, chopped liver?" Anna asked. "I could take one of them if they get up close. My Black Belt isn't just for holding my gi closed you know."

Casey thought for a moment. Her dossier was scant but the one thing that stood out was her mastery in Martial Arts. It wouldn't put her on the same level as someone that went through Close Battle Combat training but with surprise on their side she could buy him a few seconds while he dealt with the other. "Okay, you can jump the smaller one but if you get hurt or worst that's on you. These guys don't play around and I can't babysit you."

Moments later, Morgan poked his head out of the door and shouted, "Oops should have made that left at Albuquerque!" right before disappearing into the corridor. Both men hurried out the door and instantly Anna and Casey sprung. Casey smashed his guard in the neck with the shotgun's stock while Anna caught the other with a roundhouse kick to the face. To Casey's surprise, her strike dropped the man instantaneously.

"Not bad for a couple of nerds, " he told the two, and was met with grins. "Now comes the not as fun part. Grimes grab the other guy and drag him inside. Don't worry about being gentle, he certainly wouldn't have," he said as he hefted his victim.

Inside, Casey was greeted to the sight of Sarah Walker duct taped to a chair and was backlight by the blinking lights of rows upon rows of servers. Technology-wise he wasn't in Bartowski's and Wu's league but he knew enough to know that there was a monstrous amount of data being held in this one room. Idly he wondered how those Cold War spooks would react if they knew just how much raw data one government could accumulate. If printed out on paper the intel alone could possibly bury an entire metropolitan city!

Quietly, he lowered his guard to the ground and put on his gun belt. He quickly checked the piece, a 10mm caliber pistol whose make he didn't recognize, before holstering it and moving to the others. "I'll cut Walker loose while you two search the guards. Anything you find, no matter how trivial, goes in a pile here. The same goes for the weapons."

"Say please and I'll toss in a complimentary chocolate, "Morgan joked. A look from Casey confirmed that a "please" wasn't going to be forthcoming anytime soon.

"Looks like my experience rolling drunks is going to come in handy, " Anna said as she rubbed her hands gleefully. "I haven't had to do so since 2 Christmases ago when Jeff got wasted on nog and nodded off before giving me the keys to the cage. Hope I haven't gotten rusty."

"It's like falling off a bike, you never forget."

Satisfied that the Buy More duo was occupied with something useful, Casey surveyed the room for anything that looked out of place such as booby traps or enemy equipment. Besides the trussed up Sarah Walker, the only other foreign thing in the area was a small box sitting nearby on a table with wires running out of it and into the a nearby workstation. "So this was how they were getting the data," he muttered. He wasn't sure the mechanics of the thing but it definitely wasn't standard issue equipment for a facility like this. He yanked the cables and pocketed the thing for later. The eggheads can take a crack at it once things were settled.

Satisfied that he did his due diligence, he turned to Walker and pulled out the combat knife that hung from his newly acquired belt. Speaking into the headset, he said to Chuck, "Good news Bartowski, Walker doesn't appear to be hurt. Once I got her head free I'll put you on." Normally he'd try to avoid the mushy stuff, especially during an operation, but he knew it was easiest way to put Chuck at ease. Things usually got wonky when he got antsy, especially when it came to Sarah.

"Thanks Casey… uh what do you mean when you say 'get her head free'? They didn't duct tape her head too, did they?!" he asked nervously.

"Don't panic, it looks like they stuck a gas mask on her head to render her blind and mute. With the visor painted over and the mask on, it'll make it harder for her to tell what's happening. Good thing they still needed her, otherwise they'd resort to… something more permanent," Casey insinuated. Better to spare the nerd the details than for him to lose his cookies now, even if he needed the toughening up.

After carefully slicing off the tape wound around her, Casey yanked the mask off her head, only to get a wad of spit to the face for his efforts. "Must be reflex," Casey thought to himself as he wiped his face with his sleeve.

"Casey, is that you?!" she shouted. For a moment he thought she'd somehow gone deaf from a blow to the head, until he noticed something orange sticking out of her ears. Her capturers had stuck earplugs in to muffle her hearing too, dashing his hopes that she'd overheard their plans. Gingerly, he yanked them out and plopped Anna's headset on her.

"Here, you talk to Bartowski while I get you lose. I need to concentrate right now if I'm going to get this off without slicing open an artery and I'm sick of the nerd yammering in my ear," he said without any real malice.

Sarah was still getting her senses back into focus, realizing that there were two other figures in the room. She was slightly bewildered to see Anna and Morgan, here of all places, pointing and prodding one of the guards like a piñata, but couldn't muster the effort to be completely surprised. It was just one of the days, the type where so much happened that eventually your disbelief just gives up and decides to take a nap. If a unicorn came up to her and offered her a free platinum plated Lamborghini right now she wouldn't have batted an eye.

"Hello?" she spoke into the headset cautiously, only to get an avalanche of conversation in return.

"Sarah! Oh thank the Force. Are you alright? Did they hurt you at all? I hope not, but if so I hope Casey gave them an extra good whammy. But honestly, if you quizzed me, I'd say I prefer you sans pain of course. If you're thirsty, don't hesitate to ask. Casey's, you know, Casey, so you'd be better off asking Morgan," Chuck got out.

Sarah grinned at the outburst. Chuck was lord knows where and he had the state of mind to play mother hen. "I'm glad to hear you're alright. And don't worry about me; they wanted me in pristine condition. I don't know why but I think Anderson said that they still might need me. He said something about needing a backup to the backup, whatever that means."

"Maybe he was referring to Jordan. They needed someone with access right?" he suggested.

Sarah frowned. "That didn't sound like a guess to me."

"It's not, and no it's not because of you-know-what. I'm in the same room with her right now, and she's not doing so well. She refused to help and they beat her up pretty badly, " he explained. "I'm in the archives by the… oh we're around the corner from the infirmary. Good thing. Once you're out, could you pick up a couple of things? A wheelchair for Jordan, since I don't think she can't stand, and some Tylenol and some bandages for me. My hand is still bothering me."

"Is your hand still bothering you after what Shaw did?" she asked calmly, though she could feel the anger rising in her gut. Despite her training the urge to turn Shaw from Abercrombe model into a walking Picasso was getting stronger by the moment.

"Must have from when he slipped the cuffs off, " Casey offered as he sawed through the tape. "Didn't think the nerd had the nerve to dislocate his thumb like that. You'd probably want to get an ice pack to reduce the swelling. "

"Chuck…" she began, stunned by the revelation.

"It was the only way, " he told her. "They had Casey in those new containment cells, and those can't be opened from inside. It was either that or…. I couldn't live with myself if something happened to you."

"I was going to say thank you," she finished. Although Sarah wasn't happy that he'd hurt himself on her behalf, the reason why he did wasn't lost on her. It had been ages since anyone cared enough to put themselves out like that, and it touched her that Chuck would think of her first. "But you better not make a habit of doing that. I'd never hear the end of it from Ellie if she learned you've been dislocating parts of yourself to impress me," she joked, although it came out more hoarse than she meant it to.

Chuck laughed. "Trust me, I'll leave that to the professionals in the future. Hold on, I hear something." He paused for a moment, the sound of footsteps echoing in her ears. A moment later, he returned, talk at a whisper now. "Oh crap, someone's just opened the door. Got to go!" And like that, the line went dead.

Sarah's eyes went wide and she leapt from the chair, tearing the last of the duct tape off. Part of her shirt came off with the tape but Sarah paid it no mind. Casey cursed as he stumbled back, letting the blade clatter to the ground instead of letting it slice her leg open. "Damn it Walker, what the hell are you thinking?" he bellowed.

"No time for that Casey, Chuck's got company!" she exclaimed, her eyes scanning the room intently. "I need a weapon ASAP."

"Well, we got all of the shooty and stabby things in that pile over there, " Morgan said meekly as he nodded to a pile of armaments laying to the side. He never saw Sarah like this before, her eyes radiating an intensity that made him nervous. She nodded her thanks and marched over to the pile where she cinched the belt around her and scoped up one of the machine guns Morgan had so delicately handled before.

"Okay, who knows where the infirmary is?" she asked quickly.

"I think we passed it on the way in. I don't think we're that far away from it," Anna said to her.

"You think you can find your way back there?"

"Yeah, the place doesn't have that many twists and turns," Anna told her offhand.

"Great, you lead the way," Sarah said as she grabbed Anna's arm, practically hauling her out the door before Casey or Morgan could get a word in.

"So, do we have a plan?" Anna asked her quietly as they navigated the halls.

"Yes. I neutralize the hostiles using any means necessary, and then we get Chuck and another captured agent to the infirmary where I'll sweat her for everything she knows," Sarah said coolly.

"Let me guess, you're worried some pretty brunette hoochie is making eyes at your man again?" Anna said smartly.

_"Ah-ha, I knew that it wasn't just me being jealous! Those brown haired harpies are sniffing around Chuck."_ Sarah thought to herself.

Out loud she just said, "AND she might know something about all this. Her appearance here is just too coincidental for my liking. By the way, you might want to wait here a moment." Sarah disappeared round the corner and moments later something heavy hit the ground. "We're clear," she said moments later. "Don't worry, I just knocked him out. Didn't think to check if the gun was silenced so I thought not to chance it, " she said mollified.

"Err…Happens to the best of us, " Anna said hesitantly as she stepped over the unconscious guard's body. Even after the events the night before it still surprised just how badass she was.

They quietly moved through the corridors afterwards, neither woman sure what to say at the moment. When they arrived at the spot where Anna saw the infirmary, they stopped to get their bearings. "Here, this ought to help," Anna said as she pressed her compact into Sarah's free hand, and for once Sarah was glad to have another woman in the field with her.

In Sarah's experience, female agents were sensible in a way male agents weren't but this was offset by the fact that most resorted to politicking to help gain traction in the male dominated realm of espionage, especially when inter-agencies entered the picture. It was nice change of pace not having to worry about being sabotaged or sold out by a teammate. She ducked down to open the compact mirror and scanned the archives. "Got three hostiles, possibly more inside but the shelves are in the way. Without grenades I guess I'll have to risk it," she said before handing the mirror back.

"What are you planning on doing?" Anna asked but soon got her answer when Sarah got to her feet and leaned inside. Using the doorway for cover, she unleashed a burst of fire at the three men, cutting them down before they could register she was there. To Sarah's satisfaction, the gun was one of those with the built in sound suppressor so it didn't make as much a racket as she feared.

"Wait here while I mop up the rest," she said to Anna before rushing inside. Anna didn't feel like arguing for once since she wasn't in a hurry to see any dead bodies nor did she want to get underfoot. She shook her head, trying to dispel the stress. Did Chuck have to deal with this stuff all the time during his time at the the Buy More? If so, how the heck did he manage it anyways?

"Contact negative!" yelled a voice from down the hallway. A patrol was coming through and the only door open at the moment was the archive. Despite her misgivings, Anna decided to head inside instead of trying to reason with the heavily armed men. Her reasoning was that she'd rather take her chances of accidentally getting shot during Sarah's firefight over lining up for a patrol to gun her down, and she didn't care who'd argue the wisdom of that.

Inside three men lay on the ground still. There was blood but not as much as the movies would like you to believe. The sound of someone crashing to the ground snapped Anna back to the now and she took cover by a row of shelves. What happened next was downright brutal. Sarah had finished firing a gun at a guard while another had attempted to catch her unaware, only to get an empty pistol to the head. The shock of the thrown gun connecting with his temples caused the man to drop knees while Sarah head-butted his compatriot and she then finished him off with a vicious axe kick to the back of the neck.

As Sarah stood over her vanquished foe, one more armed guard appeared from a row of shelves adjacent to Anna, so intent on finishing off Sarah that he didn't notice Anna's presence. A rolling cart sat near where she hid, and in a snap decision she sent it flying towards the gunman's back. The cart's impact into his back sent the guard sprawling, his weapon firing into the wall nearby as he griped hard. In a flash Anna was upon the man, launching an assault of her own. A kick meant for the masked man's head missed as he rolled out of the way and he was back on his feet. To his surprise, the civilian he faced was skilled at hand to hand, her blows seeming to penetrate his defences easily while expertly warding off his own offence. Eventually though, a jab connected with Anna's ear, staggering her for a moment and the man finally saw a chance to draw his knife. Before he could use it though, Sarah smashed him in the head with the rifle he'd dropped just moments ago.

"Are you alright?" Sarah asked her calmly. "It's a good thing I was here or things could have ended very badly there. Why'd you come in here anyways?"

Anna took a moment to respond, her blood still up from the fight. "Some… some of those guys were coming through the hall and this was the only place nearby that was open, " she panted. "Would've stayed out of your smash up too if that guy didn't try to shoot you in the back."

Sarah's eyes finally drifted along the wall to where the bullets hit. From the trajectory realized that the man that now lay at her feet had her dead to rights moments ago. She nodded to Anna, grateful for the help. "Thanks for getting my back," she said to her.

Anna grinned. "No problem, though the way you tore through these guys makes me think you'd just catch the bullet with your teeth and tear him a new one if I didn't intervene. "

Sarah laughed. "If only," she said shaking her head at the absurdity of the thought. "I doubt even the training I got could have saved me back there."

"Still, there's no denying you got moves. Man, we got to spar sometime! Not now of course, but after all this is over," Anna quickly added.

Sarah mulled this over while she grabbed a fresh pistol from the guard she head-butted not even a minute ago. Casey mentioned she'd won some Martial Arts competitions when he was doing background checks on Chuck's co-workers at the start of Project Bartowski and could be a worthwhile sparring partner. It was hard finding anyone at her level ever since Carina's ego got too bruised from losing too often and Sarah was dying for some friendly competition. "Let me think about it. We still have to rescue Chuck and deal with these bogeys after all. Still… ah screw it, let's make it interesting. Loser has to pay for ice cream."

"You're on blondie. I'll take two scoops of Chunky Monkey with ALL the fixings, and don't you forget it!"

It took moments for the two to locate Chuck, but through the process of elimination tracked him down to one of the numerous supply closets the base had. Sarah borrowed Anna's compact again and angled it under the door. Visibility was low but she was able to see that the only shoes in the mirror were a pair of Chuck Taylors that her boyfriend favored. Satisfied nobody was going to ambush her, she decided to knock on the door.

"Uh, who's there?" Chuck called out nervously.

"Vicky Vale," Sarah replied, smiling at Anna's perplexed look. "Inside joke," she explained as the door unlocked, showing Chuck's relieved face. She hugged him one handed, her other hand clenching a pistol, as he gave her a quick peck on the lips.

"Definitely saw that coming, " came a voice behind Chuck. Sarah looked behind him to see Jordan Black sitting on top of a rolling cart looking worse for wear. Two guards were snoozing away in the other corner, each with a Twilight Dart in neck. "The whole office romance thing I mean," Jordan clarified. "The two of you just seemed so comfortable together that it was hard to miss."

"I know right? Can you believe these two weren't even doing it until a year ago?" Anna chimed in.

"Oh, I can see that happening. Training does seem to get in the way of establishing honest relationships," Jordan told her. "So, who are you again?"

"Anna Wu, Chuck's business partner and pyrotechnician extraordinaire," she said as shot a quick salute to her. Two more men joined them and she introduced them. "This here's my man Morgan, a newly minted Benihana chef but you couldn't tell by how exquisite his cooking is," she said as he waved to Jordan. "And the tall fella is Colonel Frownyface, the life of the party."

"Least you got my rank right this time, " Casey grumbled. "Damn it Walker, you know better than to go breaking rank like that! The guards figured out our explosion were a ruse and are on high alert now. We almost ran right into a patrol trying to catch up!"

"Casey look I…" Sarah began before Casey cut her off.

"Stow it, we'll continue this later in the infirmary Walker! We still have some of our wounded to tend to first," he snapped. To Chuck he said, "Bartowski, can you walk?"

"Yeah," Chuck said quickly, not wanting to peeve Casey off right now.

"Good, you and Grimes will take Agent Black here and help her to the infirmary. Those carts squeak and that's the last thing we need right now, " he said. "I'll take point, while Walker follows at the rear. Wu, you grab Bartowski's pack and stay behind me. That's not up for argument," he curtly added.

"Sounds good to me Casey," Chuck jumped in. "Hey Morgan, you grab her left arm and I'll get her right. That alright with you?"

"No problem Chuck. Like they say in the Cub Scouts, always be prepared to help a lady in need. If they don't they should!"

Moments later, the team found themselves in the infirmary. As of now no one was aware of the shooting thanks to the thick walls and the patrol had passed through already, giving them a clear shot from the archives to the infirmary. Sarah fussed over Chuck while Casey inspected Jordan's wounds, making sure his thumb was properly splinted this time. She was happy that Chuck had the forethought to improve a makeshift splint but preferred something less thrown together. By now Morgan found the painkillers as well as some Tylenol to help Jordan's pain and an icepack for Chuck.

Casey cleared his throat to give his diagnosis. "Agent Black has several broken ribs, some broken fingers on both hands, and one dislocated knee. Got two pieces of good news. First one is that there's no concussion which would make things messier."

"What's the second piece?" Jordan asked cautiously.

"The other is that I've got experience in battlefield first aid and with all of the supplies here I can help Black make it to a hospital without being D.O.A. Wu, give me hand here. I'd ask Bartowski but he's squeamish. Grimes, hold Black's leg straight while I set it."

"Guess we're on guard duty, " Chuck said to Sarah. "Oh, and thanks for worrying about me. Those guys were getting close to finding us when you went all Rambo on them. I'm sorry you had to cheese Casey off to do it though."

"Don't worry about it. I'd take Casey chewing me out any day of the week if it meant you were safe, " she told him as she gave his hand a quick squeeze. Jordan let out a muffled cry as Casey set her leg and Sarah found herself holding his hand longer to offer support. "She's going to be fine Chuck."

Chuck nodded as if to say something, yet before he could the PA system sprung to life.

"The submersible vehicle is docking with the station. The alert is on hold. All guards to your posts," came the announcer's voice over the system.

"A submersible vehicle? You mean like a submarine?" Morgan asked.

"Perceptive as ever, " Casey answered wryly. "They already have access to the base, so that must mean one thing."

"Escape plan?" Sarah offered.

"Exactly. These guys are almost finished their timetable."

Chuck shook his head. Now was not the time to lose heart, not when there was still something they could do. "Guess it's up to us to meet our own deadline then before they meet theirs," he said with as much gusto as possible. Only time would tell if they'd succeed or not.

A/N: Whether you like or hate what you've read, don't hesitate to leave a comment. I'm always up for reading feedback.


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